Nitish turns to Lalu and Congress

Appeals to RJD, Congress and CPI to make common cause to 'foil the game plan of BJP to destabilise the government'

Senior Janata Dal (United), or JD(U), leader and former chief minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday touched off speculation about a possible political realignment in Bihar when he sought support from arch-rival and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad and the Congress for the Rajya Sabha by-elections.

He also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of conspiring to destabilise the JD(U) government in the state. "It's saddening to see the BJP has sunk to such levels. I resigned after our party did not get the mandate in the general election. However, they continue to conspire against our government. The Rajya Sabha bypolls are another attempt by the saffron party to push the state towards early election. The assembly was chosen for five years. Everyone should take responsibility to foil the BJP's game plan," Kumar said in his first interaction with the media after his resignation last month.

Asked if this unity signalled a grand alliance of secular parties in the next assembly polls, Kumar said "Right now, I have appealed to them to be together for the Rajya Sabha bypolls. Rest lies with the future."

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• Former chief minister Nitish Kumar accused the BJP of conspiring to destabilise the JD(U) govt in Bihar
• Said there was nothing unusual in the JD(U) making common cause with the RJD for the by-polls

The former chief minister said there was nothing unusual in the JD(U) making common cause with the RJD for the bypolls as the party had voted for the Jitan Ram Manjhi government in the confidence motion on May 23. He also thanked the RJD for its support during the confidence motion. However, after the vote Prasad had said this was one off and it would continue to oppose the JD (U) government in the assembly. Later, two of three rebel RJD MLAs were made ministers in the Manjhi government, which apparently angered Prasad.

However, Kumar said this would not be a problem in the byelection."This is a political circumstance as now we have to fight a common enemy. The BJP wants to thrust an early election on Bihar. We all have to work together to stop its designs," he said.

"I have talked to Lalu Prasad, state Congress chief Ashok Kumar Chaudhary, its legislature party leader Sadanand Singh and CPI secretary Rajendra Singh, seeking their support for victory of two JD (U) candidates in the Rajya Sabha byelections in Bihar."

The two JD (U) candidates, diplomat-turned-politician Pawan Verma and Gulam Rasool Balyawi, face  a tough contest from real estate baron Anil Sharma and Sabir Ali, who are being backed by JD (U) rebels and the BJP in the June 19 bypolls.

Referring to Bihar BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, his former deputy, Kumar said, "The world knows the strategy to field two independents against JD(U) candidates was drawn at the residence of a senior state BJP leader from whose house they came straight to file nominations." Rebel JD (U) legislatures met Modi before the two independents filed their nomination papers. Numbers are weighing against the ruling JD (U) in the Rajya Sabha byelections. The JD (U) has 116 MLAs and the BJP 88 in the Bihar assembly. In normal circumstances, victory for JD(U) candidates was guaranteed, but a large number of its legislators are supporting the independents along with the BJP.