Lalu Prasad’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United (JDU)-the two arch rivals in Bihar politics—are eyeing the same ground in the neighbouring state of West Bengal: an alliance with Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress.
Lalu Prasad had met Banerjee, his successor in the Railway Ministry of the second UPA government, recently in Parliament and sought two assembly seats for his party. He has even assured Banerjee that he will camp in Bengal for almost a month to campaign for the alliance.
Today, JD(U) president Sharad Yadav met Banerjee for three-four seats in the Bengal assembly poll.
Banerjee, who has not so far finalized her seat sharing agreement with the main partner Congress, remained non-committal to both the leaders.
Prasad had an alliance with the CPI(M)during the 2006 assembly election in Bengal and even won a assembly seat. But the two sides eventually fell apart and during the recent Bihar assembly polls, the CPI(M) and CPI tied up with CPI(ML) to fight against Prasad as well as Nitish Kumar.
During the initial days of Banerjee in the Railway Ministry Prasad had become quite critical of her. The Trinamool chief too, had better terms with Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of Bihar.
While Nitish Kumar’s party is running an alliance with the BJP in Bihar, a large section of the Trinamool doesn’t see it as an impediment. Not only Bengal shares a long border with Bihar but it also hosts a large population of the state.
Bengal will go for six-phase assembly polls from 18 April. Banerjee’s party is emerged as a formidable force during the past few years and it is expecting to come to power in the state replacing the 34-year old Left Front government.
