Shaky start for Laloo’s front

His assertion, said a leader of the new-born front, nearly put paid to Laloo’s attempts at creating a larger-than-life image about himself. He claimed that the front should be called Bihar Morcha as, in the absence of seat-sharing agreements in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, its impact would be limited only to the former Bihar CM’s stronghold.

But Laloo denied nursing any such ambitions. Addressing a meet-the-press programme earlier in the day, he said he was not in the running for the Prime Minister’s post after the forthcoming elections. "I will not even be a kingmaker," he quipped, adding, "I am just a free man."

He also expressed himself against making Sonia Gandhi a candidate for the country’s top post. “In my opinion, she should not even contest the elections,” he said. But his enthusiasm for the new front was not shared by many. Former Union Minister and Bharatiya Kisan Kamgar Party chief Ajit Singh refused to be part of it, at least for the time being, with Kanshi Ram today reiterating that his party would contest all 85 seats in Uttar Pradesh and 40 seats in Madhya Pradesh.

"However, we are optimistic that Singh will eventually join us," Kanshi Ram told reporters, adding "talks are going on with him on the issue of distribution of seats in UP."

To sort out the imbroglio over UP, Kanshi Ram met Singh in private for over two hours this afternoon.

Besides the BSP and Laloo’s Rashtriya Janata Dal, among the parties which have joined the Jan Morcha include former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar’s Samajwadi Janata Party, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (Soren faction) and Jai Telengana party.

The Congress, according to Laloo, would not be a part of the front.

"Wherever possible, we can seek help from, and offer help to, the party to keep the BJP at bay. We’ll have statewise seat-sharing arrangement with it."

A buoyant Laloo also informed reporters that Rashtriya Janata Party chief and former Gujarat CM Shankersinh Vaghela, Gorkha National Liberation Front’s Subhash Gheising, All Bodo Students’ Union, Bundelkhand Mukti Morcha and Chattisgarh Mukti Morcha would also be joining the front soon.

"We’re also holding talks with Lok Shakti chief Ramakrishna Hegde.

Claiming to be to the sole claimant of the anti-BJP space, Kanshi Ram said that whereas the United Front was engaged in fighting both the Congress and the BJP, the Jan Morcha considered the saffron outfit as it main enemy.

However, on being asked whether he would seek the BJP’s support in capturing power at the Centre, the BSP supremo asserted that his party did not consider the former to be untouchable. "We can go to any extent to empower the bahujan samaj," he quipped.

The front, Laloo pointed out, will fight the forthcoming elections on a common programme. "We’ll also organise joint campaigns wherever possible for the candidates put up by the morcha," he added.