Nitish Kumar inks poll pact with Lalu, Congress

The ruling Janata Dal (United) on Wednesday arrived at a seat-sharing arrangement with its alliance partners — the RJD and the Congress —  thereby putting all speculations of bickerings within the Janata Parivar to rest.

According to the modalities thrashed out among the constituents of the grand alliance, the JD(U) and the RJD will contest 100 seats each while leaving 40 seats for the Congress.

Though there has been no formal announcement whether the remaining three seats, out of total 243 constituencies, will be left for the CPI or the NCP, there are speculations that Sharad Pawar’s party will be given the remaining three seats near Katihar, from where veteran parliamentarian Tariq Anwar is the sole NCP MP from this state.

Flanked by RJD chief Lalu Prasad and Congress general secretary C P Joshi, Nitish Kumar said that the three parties together will launch the poll campaign from Patna on August 30 when leaders of the three parties will address a Swabhiman rally.

“It has been named Swabhiman (self-respect) rally since Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made uncharitable remarks about my DNA during his Muzaffarpur rally on July 25. This has hurt not only me but the sentiments of all Biharis. We had requested the PM to take back his words,” said Nitish.

Nitish also slammed Modi for giving patronage to such MPs who spoke ill of him. “One of the NDA MPs (Jehanabad MP Arun Kumar) recently said in a press meet at the BJP office that he would break the chest of Nitish Kumar.

Instead of flaying such personal remarks, that too against a chief minister, the prime minister hugged this MP during his rally at Gaya on last Sunday. This shows the abusive language used by NDA leaders against their opponents have the permission of Modi,”  Nitish added.

Dismissing the charge of jungle raj, Lalu Prasad said, “Now get ready for the dangal between Mandal and Kamandal (BJP).” BJP leaders later addressed a press meet in the evening where they highlighted about the yatra flagged off by Union ministers. They also said that Mandal and Kamandal were now both with the BJP.  “Lalu should realise that Mandal (read Paswan, Kushwaha, Manjhi) is now with Kamandal and hence the wind is blowing in our favour,” said senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi.