Kanshi-Laloo talks flounder over UP

Defending Kanshi Ram’s position, Laloo later indicated that the imbroglio over UP would be sorted out soon. “After all, every party has to be prepared to face any eventuality,” he reasoned.

The former Bihar chief minister tonight held parleys with Kanshi Ram, Chandra Shekhar, Ajit Singh, Shibu Soren (JMM) and representatives of the Jai Telengana in his bid to formalise the nationwide “secular” alliance.

But, in the absence of the Congress and in the face of Kanshi Ram’s intransigence, his efforts made little headway.

Laloo, however, claimed later that the Congress had not been invited for the meeting. He also said that earlier in the day he had held talks with Shankersinh Vaghela of the Rashtriya Janata Party and Lok Shakti leader Ramakrishna Hegde to enlist their support for his efforts. “To rid the country of communalism and to fulfill the aspirations of the poor and the oppressed, we have in principle agreed to form a secular alliance,” was all he said after the meeting.

“We also made a state-wise analysis of the political situation,” he said. “In each state, our endeavour will be to extend support to that constituent which is most powerful.”

While agreeing to the idea of the nationwide alliance being planned by Laloo, BSP supremo Kanshi Ram, however, maintained that in Uttar Pradesh, where his main aim was to thwart the ambitions of the BJP by relegating it to the sidelines, his party had to play a major role. “We are ready to contest all 85 seats there,” he asserted, adding, “Just as in Bihar we have left everything to Laloo, in UP, everything should be left to the BSP.”