Rift in RJD-LJP alliance over Purnia bypoll

Rift surfaces in the RJD-LJP combine after seven months of the alliance suffering serious drubbing at the hands of ruling NDA in assembly polls in Bihar, with the alliance failing to reach an agreement on supporting the candidate for the Purnia assembly bypoll.

Rift surfaces in the RJD-LJP combine after seven months of the alliance suffering serious drubbing at the hands of ruling NDA in assembly polls in Bihar, with the alliance failing to reach an agreement on supporting the candidate for the Purnia assembly bypoll.

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Both the RJD and LJP decided against contesting the bypoll and have rather decided to support a secular candidate keeping in mind the winnability factor.

Souring relations between the two opposition parties in Bihar surfaced yesterday with the RJD leaders Ramchandra Purve and Abdul Bari Siddiqui unilaterally announcing to support the CPI-M nominee Amit Sarkar, son of slain CPI-M MLA Ajit Sarkar, in the June 25 bypoll to Purnia assembly.

Leader of the opposition Abdul Bari Siddiqui said that RJD's decision to support the CPI-M candidate was solely a party decision and efforts to contact the LJP leadership on the issue had proved futile.

"We have had no talks with LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan on the issue," he said. Siddiqui said the party's decison to support the CPI-M was taken to check a division of secular votes in the bypolls in a bid to defeat the NDA nominee.

However, the RJD's bid to check the division of secular votes might not fructify as it's alliance partner LJP is apparently keen on spoorting the congress candidate, Ram Charitra Yadav who bagged 40000 votes in the last polls and if that happens it would be a signal of the LJP closing in with the Congress in the coming days.