Lalu throws alliance ball in Nitish's court, wants quick talks

Says I telephoned Nitish Kumar one week ago and said days were passing and that we should now sit together quickly and decide about alliance, elections, seats and other such issues

With the political scenario in Bihar heating up in view of approaching Assembly polls and the much-publicised Janata Parivar merger in doldrums, RJD president Lalu Prasad today threw the ball in Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's court saying it was time to decide about the alliance.

"I telephoned Nitish Kumar one week ago and said days were passing and that we should now sit together quickly and decide about alliance, elections, seats and other such issues. Various kinds of talks doing the round in the market about us are making the environment unpleasant," Prasad told reporters.

Kumar, he said, could not come as he was recuperating from an eye ailment but the Janata Dal (United) National President, Sharad Yadav, met him at his residence to talk about the issues.

"I am now saying we should hurry up over the mega-alliance. JD(U) should talk to Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) also about their demands and wishes. If you want merger between Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and JD(U) then I am ready. Let us let us sit together today itself and finalise it.

"All issues including that of leadership and chief ministerial candidate will be sorted out once there is finality about the alliance," Prasad, a former Bihar chief minister, said.

Prasad's sudden insistence on quick talks on alliance comes in the backdrop of Congress' overtures to Kumar and his JD(U) before the Bihar Assembly polls.

Congress is currently supporting JD(U) government in Bihar and several of its state leaders, including Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee president Ashok Chaudhary, have repeatedly imposed faith in Kumar's leadership and expressed willingness to contest the coming polls with him provided they are given a respectable treatment in seat sharing.

Clarifying his position, Prasad said he was "positive and not negative" on the alliance but said trust was important between RJD and JD(U) to take ahead any talk on it. "Otherwise the enemy will benefit and we will be in trouble".

The RJD chief said there was need to ensure that there was no doubt or confusion among the people about the alliance.