Laloo clinches deal with Kanshi

NEW DELHI, Dec 16: Rashtriya Janata Dal president and former Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav today took a step closer to realising ...

NEW DELHI, Dec 16: Rashtriya Janata Dal president and former Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav today took a step closer to realising his dream of forging a secular front by clinching a nationwide alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party.

After today’s formal announcement, the broad contours of the proposed alliance, which would eventually comprise, besides these two parties, the Congress, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Chandra Shekhar’s Samajwadi Janata Party, Ajit Singh’s Bharatiya Kisan Kamgar Party and Shankarsinh Vaghela’s Rashtriya Janata Party, became clearer. The front, according to Laloo, would have its first meeting on December 20.

After a two-hour meeting early this evening at BSP supremo Kanshi Ram’s Humayun Road residence, the two leaders announced that they would fight the ensuing mid-term polls jointly “across the country.”

Story continues below this ad

“We’re ready to join the secular front being planned by Lalooji,” Kanshi Ram told media persons, “I support his efforts to forge the secular front to fight the communal forces across the country.”

Flush with the success of his efforts, Laloo eulogised Kanshi Ram’s efforts to raised the consciousness of the depressed classes. “Whatever he says will be acceptable to us,” the former Bihar CM said, “He is our respected leader.”