Promise to build another pan-India Grand Alliance: Sharad at Lalu rally

RJD Chief Lalu Yadav has declared a war against the BJP. Showing signs of unity, top leaders from opposition parties shared a stage during ‘BJP Bhagao Desh Bachao rally’ organised by the RJD in Patna on Sunday.

RJD Chief Lalu Yadav who has already claimed that his rally will ensure the ouster of BJP led NDA welcomed rebel JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav by publicly embracing him and calling his faction “a real JD(U)”.

Sharad’s presence at the event is being seen as his defiance to JD(U), which may initiate a stern action against him.

Unfazed by JD(U)’s warning, Sharad Yadav launched a veiled attack on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar while addressing the rally and said “people will not forget and forgive those who broke the alliance in Bihar to remain in power. In democracy keeping promises is important”.

He said that “those who broke the alliance in Bihar and betrayed the mandate will see a larger alliance being formed at the national level soon”.

Reacting sharply on Sharad Yadav’s decision to attend the rally, JD(U) Secretary General KC Tyagi told this newspaper, “He ended his long association with the party by attending the rally organised by RJD. We feel that he has voluntarily left the JD(U) by going against the party line”.

Tyagi also said that the party will initiate a process of expelling him from the JD(U) and seeking his disqualification from the Rajya Sabha.

Lalu Yadav’s mega rally also saw the participation of Trinamool Congress Chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad along with other political leaders.

Observers say that Lalu Yadav who is facing the worst phase of his political career after string of corruption charges were levelled against him and his family organised the rally to consolidate Muslim – Yadav-Dalit (M-Y-D) vote bank in a bid to counter the NDA especially JD (U) and the BJP who recently formed the government in Bihar.

The RJD chief accused the Centre of misusing the investigating agencies to file “false cases” against him and his family including his son Tejashwi Yadav to defame them.

“I had toured Bihar during assembly elections seeking votes for JD (U), I gave away the cadre votes to Nitish Kumar and his party but he betrayed the mandate by joining hands with the communal forces”, Lalu Yadav said during the rally.

He further added that “I was aware that Nitish Kumar was inching closer to BJP and now no other political party will believe the turncoat like him”.