Yet another poll alliance in Bihar; now SP and NCP join hands

Samajwadi Party and the Nationalist Congress Party on Monday announced entering into alliance for the coming Bihar assembly elections and claimed they were in talks with some other anti-BJP and anti-Congress regional parties.

Coverage: The Battle for Bihar

The alliance was announced at a joint press meet by SP Secretary General Kiranmoy Nanda and NCP General Secretary Tariq Anwar in Patna.

Both SP and NCP have walked out of the secular alliance in Bihar alleging humiliation in distribution of seats to them and joined hands for a third alternative in the crucial polls.

Nanda and Anwar, who were accompanied by SP Bihar chief Ramchandra Singh Yadav, said 8-10 regional parties opposed to BJP and Congress were in touch with them to be part of the grouping to give a tough fight to the two alliances in all 243 seats in the poll.

While Anwar voiced a strict no to AIMIM of Hyderabad MP Asauddin Owaisi, the two leaders were not very categorical about Janadhikar Morcha of Madhepura MP Pappu Yadav.

Asked about chances of tie-up with Left parties, Anwar said there was no response from them.

The Left parties have formed their own front for the polls comprising of six parties -- CPI, CPI-ML, CPM, SUCI, RSP and Forward Bloc.

Nanda and Anwar identified National Peoples Party of former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma and Samras Samaj Party of former Union minister Nagmani as possible future partners.

The SP secretary general said a three-member committee comprising Anwar, Raghunath Jha and Ramchandra Singh Yadav would hold talks with parties interested in joining the grouping and also finalise candidates.

Nanda said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav would address a joint function of workers of SP, NCP and other parties which would be part of the grouping in Patna on
September 22.

Though SP and NCP have no MLA and do not have a strong support base in Bihar, they would pose problem to grand secular alliance of JD(U), RJD and Congress as they address Muslims and Yadavs, the core support base of the alliance in general and RJD in particular.

NCP had severed ties with the secular alliance after being offered only three seats.

SP participated in the Swabhiman rally of the secular alliance on August 30 but after being given 5 seats announced its exit soon after complaining of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's 'tilt' towards Congress.