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Want them to be together: Lalu triggers buzz on Tejashwi-Chirag ties in Bihar
Lalu Prasad left the political pundits guessing after calling on LJD leader Sharad Yadav a day after meeting veteran SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav in Delhi.
Lalu Prasad said on Tuesday that he wants his son, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, to form an alliance with Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader Chirag Paswan in Bihar.
"I want them to be together," Lalu was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. The former Bihar chief minister and the RJD chief also said that despite the rift within the LJP, Chirag Paswan continues to be the leader of the party.
Meanwhile, Chirag Paswan said discussions on possible alliance in Bihar or Uttar Pradesh would be done close to the elections. "I respect his (Lalu's) feelings but my priority is the 'Ashirwad Yatra' and making my organisation strong," Chirag Paswan was quoted as saying.
Earlier in the day, Lalu called on Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav along with his daughter Misa Bharti at his Delhi residence.
On Monday, too, Lalu had met Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav in Delhi where his son, the incumbent SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, was also present. Lalu called his visit to Mulayam Singh Yadav a "courtesy call" to enquire about the health of the ailing former Uttar Pradesh chief minister.
Calling Mulayam Singh Yadav country's most-veteran socialist, Lalu took to Twitter from his official handle to post photos from the meeting and write that the country needs equality and socialism as opposed to capitalism and communalism.
Taking a swipe at JD(U)-BJP coalition government in Bihar, Lalu said his party was close to forming a government in Bihar 2020, but couldn't because it was "cheated and defeated" by "10-15 votes".
NDA had secured 125 seats in the assembly while the Mahagathbandhan, a coalition of anti-BJP parties, including RJD, Congress and Left Front parties, won 110. RJD couldn't form the government despite emerging as the single-largest party after securing 75 seats, followed by 74 of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and 43 seats of JD(U). LJP which is part of the NDA coalition at the Centre chose to contest the assembly elections separately and managed to keep it foothold on only one seat in the 243-seat Bihar assembly.
