Bihar Assembly polls: Nitish Kumar declared CM candidate of JD(U)-RJD alliance

Mangalore Today News Network

Patna, June 08, 2015: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was on Monday declared as the chief ministerial candidate of the JD(U)-RJD alliance for the upcoming Assembly polls due to be held in the state later this year.

 

“Nitish Kumar will be the chief ministerial candidate of JD(U)-RJD alliance, Lalu Prasad Yadav had proposed his name,” Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav said while addressing a press conference here.

Shortly after the announcement, RJD chief Lalu said that the final decision on the name of chief ministerial candidate was made by Mulayam Singh, which has been accepted by everyone.

“We have come together to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and do not have any differences with Nitish Kumar. I cannot contest polls and hence I am not a CM candidate,” Lalu said while addressing the press conference.

Ahead of the confirmation, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today reaffirmed that the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) and Congress will fight the upcoming state assembly elections together.

“We are already part of an alliance with Congress and it is supporting us,” Nitish said while addressing a press conference here.

Dispelling rumours related to differences between Lalu Prasad Yadav-led RJD and the JD(U), Nitish said everything is fine between the two parties ahead of upcoming Bihar Assembly polls.

The Bihar Chief Minister also added that Lalu Yadav has no objection with Congress party being part of an alliance.

“Three members each from both JD(U) and RJD will meet tomorrow and hold discussions related to seat sharing,” he said.

However, Nitish remained mum about his meeting with Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi at his residence yesterday.

Ending weeks of speculations, Samajwadi Party’s (SP) national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav had yesterday announced that RJD and JD(U) will contest polls together.

The announcement was made after a meeting of Janata Parivar at SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav’s residence.

Assembly elections in Bihar, where BJP is set for a battle against a united Janata Parivar, are likely to be held sometime in September-October, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi had said.

On April 15, six political parties -- including Janata Dal United, Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Samajwadi Party -- had announced a merger to revive the united Janata Party. Mulayam Singh Yadav was named the president of the merged entity.

 

Courtesy: Zeenews