SP event not a prelude to alliance for UP polls: Nitish

Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar today said the Samajwadi Party's foundation day celebrations tomorrow should not be seen as a "prelude to alliance" for the coming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
"The SP programme is for the celebration of its 25th foundation day. It should not be seen as a prelude to any alliance (for the UP Assembly election)," he told reporters here.
Kumar said he had received a phone call from SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav last night inviting him to the function and thanked him for it.
"Had it not been for Chhath festival, I would have thought about going to Lucknow for the programme. It is courtesy to invite people who share similar ideological and emotional affinity to any function," he said after inspecting the preparations for Chhath festival at different ghats on the banks of Ganga.

Commenting on the feud in Uttar Pradesh's first family, the JD(U) supremo said, "We will be happy if there is no dispute within Samajwadi Party. I have full faith that veteran leader Mulayam Singh Yadav will be able to solve any problem within that party."
Kumar said JD(U) was going for the 2017 UP polls with full preparation.

Party worker meetings have been held in five divisions of that state, he said.
Kumar said talks for alliance and cooperation have been held with many parties, while also referring to the unsuccessful bid by six parties of old Janata Parivar to merge into one.

However, it does not mean that no such efforts would be made in future and that it would not succeed, he had said earlier.
The presence of leaders of prominent parties of socialist and secular leaning in the SP foundation day function is seen as a step towards forging a strong grouping for the crucial UP polls.
With Kumar expressing inability to go to Lucknow due to Chhath, JD(U) has decided to send its senior leaders Sharad Yadav and K C Tyagi to the foundation day function tomorrow.