Mulayam forms third front to take on NDA, grand alliance

The combine will present a third alternative to voters after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the grand alliance.

“We will contest the Bihar Assembly polls with SJD-D led by former Union Minister Devendra Prasad Yadav, NCP and NPP, headed by former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma, as Third Front alternative in Bihar,” SP national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav said at a joint press conference with leaders of these parties.

“The coordination committee of Third Front will meet in Patna tomorrow to decide candidates for the first phase of the Bihar polls, for which filing of nominations have already started,” Devendra Yadav said.

Forty-nine Assembly seats will go to polls in the first phase on October 12 and the last date for filing of nominations for <g data-gr-id="34">first</g> phase is September 23.

Former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Raghunath Jha, who formally joined the SP on Thursday, said he left Lalu Prasad’s party as he was not getting “due respect” there. “I thank Mulayam Singh Yadav for accepting me in his party,” he said.

Asked about the Front’s Chief Ministerial candidate, Ram Gopal Yadav said it has not been decided as of now. About parting ways with the alliance of Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar (JD-U), Ram Gopal Yadav said it was not possible for SP to merge with it and give up its identity. “I know it was a conspiracy. Had we joined them, we would have not only lost the symbol but also the party,” he said.

On the allegations levelled by rival parties that he was helping the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the poll-bound state by splitting of opposition votes, Yadav said: “Let them make allegations. In politics, such charges are made.”  Besides Jha, JD(U) MLC Munna Singh joined SP.

Assembly polls in Bihar will be fought in five phases between October 12 and November 5. Polls to the 243-seat Assembly would be held on October 12, 16, 28, November 1 and 5. Counting to votes will take place on November 8.