Merger or alliance, our aim is to defeat BJP in Bihar: Lalu

RJD President Lalu Prasad today said efforts were on to sort out difficulties in the process of Janata Party merger and the constituents' aim was to defeat BJP in Bihar through an electoral alliance if the merger did not happen.
"We are strong votary of merger of Janata Parivar... Some serious technical issues have cropped up which we are trying to sort out... But if this do not happen, we are prepared to fight election together," Prasad told reporters after a meeting of RJD legislators in evening.
"Merger or alliance, our aim is to defeat BJP at any cost," the RJD chief said.

Samajwadi Party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav had on May 10 said there was "no possibility of a (Janata Parivar) merger" before Bihar Assembly polls.
"The merger is not possible before the Bihar election due to technicalities. If we merge in a hurry, it will be like signing the death warrant of our party," he had said.
While Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said the merger exercise was moving on right path slowly and steadly, RJD Chief today acknowledged technical difficulties in the merger process which, he said, they were trying to sort out.

On upcoming elections to 24 seats of Legislative Council, he said talks were on with JD(U) and others to fight the poll together.

Prasad alleged BJP was treating leaders like Union ministers Ramvilas Paswan, Upendra Kushwaha, Ramkripal Yadav as "refugees" and entrusting them with the task of carrying forward BJP agenda in Bihar "which could never succeed".
He also expressed displeasure over the Patna High Court verdict annulling a state government order to provide reservation to SC and ST officials in promotion in jobs and asked Nitish Kumar government to challenge it in the Supreme Court.