JD(U), Trinamool Congress to tie up for Bengal polls

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) may well be a key partner of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), but this doesn’t stop its party brass from expecting an alliance with UPA’s second largest party and Congress’ partner Trinamool Congress in the forthcoming assembly polls in West Bengal.

In a move to gain some access in the state, the JD(U) is talking to leaders of the Trinamool Congress for a possible tie-up in the state for the state elections. The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress already has an alliance with the Congress Party, both at the Centre and in the state, and the two parties are gearing to jointly fight elections against the Left parties.

The JD(U) is also an active member of the NDA, along with the BJP, and the party also has an alliance with the BJP in Bihar where the two are in power for a second consecutive term.

Interestingly, JD(U)’s Sharad Yadav is also going to West Bengal to talk to leaders of the Trinamool Congress about the chances of an alliance in the state. Senior JD(U)leaders said, they would want to fight elections in West Bengal on the seats with considerable vote share of people who have migrated from Bihar to West Bengal.

Trinamool Congress’ chief whip, Sudip Bandhopadhyay, has also revealed Mamata Banerjee had invited Nitish Kumar to campaign for her party in West Bengal and he has readily agreed to the offer.

“JD(U) leaders have already begun talks in West Bengal and are in constant touch with Trinamool Congress leaders. We are open to the idea of an alliance in West Bengal, where our party chief Sharad Yadav will be going on February 27 for a much more detailed dialogue with the Trinamool leader,” said K C Tyagi, JD(U) senior leader and a confidant of Sharad Yadav.

JD(U) leaders said the JD(U)-BJP alliance was limited only to Bihar. After the consecutive victory in Bihar’s assembly elections, the JD(U) is looking for alliance partners outside the state and wants to play a bigger role in national politics, especially in the 2014 Lok Sabha.