JD(U) talking with Trinamool for seat sharing in UP polls

JD(U) has claimed that it was in talks with the Trinamool Congress for seat-sharing in the coming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections and has already reached an understanding with the fledgling Socialist Party of India.

"We held the second round of talks with Trinamool leader Sultan Ahmed who has gone to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee with the inputs," JD(U) General Secretary K C Tyagi, who is involved in the talks along with party president Sharad Yadav, told PTI.

He said that the future of talks will be known only after Ahmed's return from the deliberations with Banerjee.

However, despite the ongoing talks with the TMC, the JD(U) has already announced the names of 275 candidates who will contest the polls.

Tyagi said even as the possibility of a tie-up between JD(U) and TMC hangs in balance, an understanding has been reached with the newly floated Socialist Party of India which has leaders like eminent jurist Rajendra Sachar and veteran journalist and social activist Kuldip Nayyar.

"A joint press conference of JD(U) President and leaders of Socialist Party will be held at Lucknow on February four," Tyagi said.

Tyagi said "Bihar model" of governance would be the main plank of campaigning in UP. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar would hit the campaign trail in UP from January 31, he added.