Bihar CPI says no to Lalu

ASSEMBLY POLL: BIHAR

The Bihar unit of the Communist Party of India (CPI) is against an alliance with Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and in the coming Assembly elections in the state.

The consensus emerged at the just-concluded state conference of the CPI held in Madhubani. The state unit members are of the opinion that getting into a pre-poll arrangement with Prasad was as good as keeping away from it, since he was not good at honouring his commitments, sources in the CPI said.

In fact, CPI General Secretary AB Bardhan said there had been no "formal" agreement with the RJD during the February Assembly polls.

Of the 16 seats the CPI contested, it had put up candidates against Prasad in nine seats. In the remaining seven seats, there was an "understanding", but Prasad never campaigned in those constituencies, the CPI said.

Though the party is yet to take a final decision on a poll alliance with RJD, top leaders in the CPI seemed rather cut up with Prasad.

"Lalu gives very few seats and you cannot go begging to him everytime," a top leader said. CPI sources said elections were not to be expected in Bihar before November and a decision in this regard would be taken only two months prior to that.

Traditionally, the CPI has fought independently in Bihar, while its partner the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has allied with the RJD.

Though the CPI's not joining the alliance is unlikely to cause severe damage to the RJD, it might foster an image of the disintegration of the "secular forces", giving the BJP an upperhand.