Mulayam Singh, Lalu Yadav to forge new alliance

Days after Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Yadav and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav joined forces to revive the Janata Dal, they are now set to turn their political relationship into a personal one.

Days after Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Yadav and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav joined forces to revive the Janata Dal, they are now set to turn their political relationship into a personal one.

Mulayam's grandnephew Tej Pratap Singh Yadav and Lalu's youngest daughter Raj Lakshmi will tie the knot early next year and a grand engagement has been scheduled in December.

Tej Pratap Singh was recently elected to the Lok Sabha from family stronghold Mainpuri. When asked about the alliance, Tej - currently attending the winter session of Parliament - said, "Such things are a social alliance, don't mix it with politics."

The alliance comes after the former allies turned political foes after the fall of the VP Singh government in 1990. While Lalu joined hands with the Congress, Mulayam remained a staunch critic of the party. The rift widened in 1997, when Mulayam accused Lalu of scuttling his chances of becoming Prime Minister.

In an attempt to combat the 'Modi wave', Mulayam, Lalu, Sharad Yadav and Nitish Kumar from the Janata Dal (United), leader of Janata Dal (Secular) HD Deve Gowda met in Delhi recently to discuss the creation of a Third Front.