Nitish not very enthusiastic about Grand Alliance in UP
Patna,(BiharTimes): The decision of the Janata Dal (United) and Rashtriya Lok Dal presidents Nitish Kumar and Ajit Singh respectively not to attend the Silver Jubilee Celebration of the Samajwadi Party in Lucknow on November 5 is being interpreted as a setback to the reported move to form a Bihar-type Grand Alliance in Uttar Pradesh.
Though Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad would be attending the function several political observers are of the view that even he is not very comfortable over the infighting within the ruling family of Uttar Pradesh. In fact he is attending because of his own family’s marital ties with Mulayam’s family. Lalu’s youngest daughter Raj Lakshmi is married to SP chief’s grand nephew, Tej Pratap Singh, MP.
None of the Bihar Grand Alliance leaders want to get dragged into the squabbling within the Yadav Parivar.
Though at Rajgir on Oct 17 Nitish openly made it clear that he would prefer chief minister Akhilesh Singh Yadav over father Mulayam Singh, yet he has not said anything against the idea of Grand Alliance in UP.
On Wednesday he only called upon the SP leadership to show large-heatedness and talked about larger unity against the BJP.
The JD(U) president has not forgotten as to how last year his own idea of merging half a dozen parties of Janata Parivar was rejected by Samajwadi Party. Besides Akhilesh, the Bihar CM has been showing softness towards the Congress.
In this new changing scenario it can not be said as to how things would take shape in next few days. In the meantime one unusual development took place. Prashant Kishor, who is actually an Advisor to the CM of Bihar, has met SP supremo.
However, it remains a mystery as to in which capacity he met Mulayam. After all in UP he is working for Congress.
That is not enough.UP SP chief Shivpal Yadav has met JD(U) general secretary K C Tyagi, who has reportedly told him that Nitish would not be attending Nov 5 function in Lucknow.
It is also said that Mulayam went to Delhi ahead of Lucknow function to explore the possible chance of meeting Nitish, who too was in the national capital. But the meeting did not materialize.
Recent developments in the SP has, however, made it clear. The party, especially the faction led by Mulayam and younger brother Shivpal, is a bit nervous over the poll prospect.
With Akhilesh––what many UP-watchers feel–– emerging victorious and Bahujan Samaj Party and Bharatiya Janata Party posing a big challenge to the embattled Samajwadi Party the latter was left with no option, but to look for old but estranged friends in other states.
If UP CM himself does not attend the November 5 jamboree––as is being indicated––the whole show can be dubbed as “be dulhe ki baraat”. It does not matter much how big the baraat is.
