 "Bihar:Cong claims talking to JD(U), latter trashes it; nothing without Special status")
With 40 seats at stake in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the Congress in Bihar is treading very cautiously while firming up its electoral alliances. After Lok Janshakti Party LJP, walked over to the BJP camp, it was estimated that Congress and the RJD would waste no time in stitching up a pre-poll alliance but the Congress appears to making attempts to reach out to the other "secular" party in the fray the JD(U). The JD(U) today however rejected such claims and alleged that Congress was "rumour mongering" only to drive a hard bargain with the Lalu Prasad led RJD in the state. The denial of special status to Bihar has virtually closed all doors for any possible alliance between the Congress and the JD(U).
Since the Congress has been dragging its feet over alliances, a disgruntled LJP had already walked out and now RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav has also issued an ultimatum to the Congress. Over the weekend, Yadav had initially offered 11 seats to the Congress and one to the NCP and urged the Grand Old Party to tie up the alliance. On an after thought, the RJD chief it appears has softened his stance and spoken of mutual talks to settle the issue.
JD(U) leader KC Tyagi, when contacted minced no words in hitting out at the Congress for its "mischief." "We have had no talks official or unofficial with the Congress over seat sharing. They are rumour mongering only to drive a hard bargain with the Lalu Prasad led RJD," said Tyagi.
A senior JD(U) leader observed, "We have been demanding special status for Bihar for long and we were bluntly denied but they granted special status to Seemandhra within 48 hours ! They can forget about having any alliance with us. If they had agreed to our demand, then things would have been different."
Incidentally, speculation about JD(U) and Congress engaging in talks was fuelled by the Congress camp itself. The climb down from Lalu Yadav came soon after such speculation. A senior Congress leader went so far as to say, "It is but obvious that if we are to have an alliance in Bihar it will be with Lalu Prasad Yadav. What we need to work out are the seats and the number of the seats that he is giving us."
JD(U) senior leader Sharad Yadav speaking to reporters said, "We have built a Front of 11 parties. We will strengthen that and spoil the game of both the Congress and the BJP."
For the Congress that is seeming more and more bereft of allies as it goes into the 2014 polls, the alliances that it ties up in a politically charged state like Bihar will be crucial in buffering its overall tally.