In first meeting after LS polls, Grand Alliance fails to answer questions on leadership

The Grand Alliance (GA) held its first meeting on Monday after the Lok Sabha debacle in May. Though the GA tried to put up a united face, the coalition failed to arrive at any consensus on the issue of leadership.

The meeting convened at Rabri Devi’s residence amid reports of dissent between the alliance partners, failed to show a show of solidarity when the leader of opposition in Bihar assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, did not appear with the other leaders at the media briefing. However, the Yadav scion was present at the meeting. The meeting was attended by HAM-S leader Jitan Ram Manjhi, Congress state president Madan Mohan Jha, RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha, RJD state president Ram Chandra Purvee and VIP leader Mukesh Sahni.

“There was no decision on the face of GA. It will be announced at an appropriate time,” said the HAM-S chief, Jitan Ram Manjhi, while briefing the media about the meeting. The former CM added, “Our GA is much stronger and we will work together to provide an alternative to the state. This was the first meeting and we will sort out the differences.”

Earlier in the day, Manjhi had raised question marks over calling the GA meeting so late and when “much damage” has been done. He even said that Tejashwi “lacked experience” in handling the situation.

The leaders participating in the meeting also released a joint statement. “This alliance was not for Lok Sabha elections alone. We recognise and realise our responsibilities. We are concerned on how to pull out the state and country out of the mess it is passing through.”

Sources in the GA, said that differing voices had earlier emerged from Congress, when one of its leaders had said that the alliance was, “only for the LS polls and Congress was free to chart its independent course.”