SP leader backs Lalu on Manjhi, Nitish skips meet

Senior leaders of the Janata Parivar’s splinter groups held a meeting at the residence of SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who is heading the new outfit, on Friday. Prasad’s idea of roping in Manjhi in the ‘grand alliance’ against the BJP, which would include all non-NDA parties – including the Left, did not go down well with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Manjhi is a bête noire of Kumar.

“With a condition emerging that the merger of all six parties as one is not a possibility due to some technical reasons, it was discussed in the meeting to forge an alliance comprising all stakeholders to take on the BJP during the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. The proposal to form a new grand alliance, including the Congress, Left and Manjhi’s new outfit, was proposed by RJD chief Lalu Prasad, which was supported by Ram Gopal Prasad,” a source said.

Raising a question on the ‘Janata Parivar’ merger, Kumar skipped the crucial meeting called to iron out differences with Prasad. Instead, Kumar sent senior JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav to attend the meet. According to sources in the Janata Parivar, soon after the new game plan was floated, JD(U)’s Sharad Yadav left the meeting. However, later, Sharad Yadav and Nitish Kumar had a detailed discussion over the new strategy, which remained inconclusive, sources said.

It is worth mentioning that both Sharad Yadav and Kumar had pulled out all stops to keep Manjhi at bay, after the former Chief Minister and a protégé of Kumar turned rebellious. Manjhi’s induction into the proposed grand alliance will invite a lot of criticism for Kumar and give the BJP a new issue  to take on the alliance.

“Anticipating difficulties in the merger, Laluji is trying to woo Dalits and Manjhi, somehow, has emerged as a leader for certain segments of the community after Nitish-Manjhi fiasco. If we will not invite him, then the BJP will take him to their side, which will prove costlier for the Janata Parivar alliance,” a leader in the RJD said. ‘

Notably, Manjhi has rejected the Prasad’s offer to join the Janata Parivar, saying he has no scope in any alliance that includes Nitish Kumar.