SP shuts door on Grand Alliance, to go solo in Bihar elections

Suspense over Samajwadi Party remaining in the nascent anti-BJP Grand Alliance for the coming Bihar Assembly polls ended today with the party deciding to fight the elections on its own and blamed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for a "tilt" towards Congress.
Announcing this here, Bihar SP president Ramchandra Singh Yadav said the party will contest all 243 seats alone in the upcoming polls.
"SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, listening to sentiments of workers, went by the decision of the party's Parliamentary Board to end ties with secular alliance of JD(U), RJD and Congress, and contest alone in Bihar," Yadav told reporters after a meeting of party districts chief here.

He said that with SP walking out, the grand secular alliance in Bihar has virtually come to an end. "Now it will only be 'lathbandhan' (clash of lathis) between JD(U) and RJD," Yadav said.
Yadav was not very categorical about chances of tie-up with Left Parties and Sharad Pawar-led NCP.
"There have been some talks with leaders of the two but no conclusive decision has yet been taken," he said.
Slamming the grand alliance and coming down heavily on the Bihar chief minister, he said, "SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav ignored all odds against Kumar and played a pivotal role in declaring his name as secular alliance's candidate for chief minister's post ... Till the name was declared, Kumar used to chant 'Mulayam chalisa'. The feelings of the SP workers wee hurt after he started with 'Congress and Sonia chalisa'," Yadav said.

SP's change of mind follows its participation in the 'Swabhiman Rally' here on August 30, which was addressed among others by Congress President Sonia Gandhi.