The bonhomie between Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav is likely to be extended to Bihar elections as well, after the two leaders joined hands to build pressure on the government on the issue of salary hike for MPs.
The SP may give the Bihar Assembly elections a miss in an attempt to ensure that the other backward castes (OBC) votes are not divided. The Monsoon Session of the Parliament has only brought the two Yadav leaders more close.
The UP SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has stated that his party has not yet decided to contest the Bihar elections. “We have not yet decided to contest the Bihar elections. If the Bihar unit leaders of the party come up with any proposal, we will take a call then,” said Mr Yadav.
However, there are indications within the SP ranks that the party might not contest the state polls. The bonhomie between the two Yadav leaders were also seen earlier this month when the SP chief stalled the move of the dissident RJD leader Devendra Yadav to join his party, after which the Bihar leader floated a new party in the state to contest the polls.
The SP had suffered a major jolt last year when its entire unit led by its state chief Ashok Kumar Singh had merged with the ruling JD(U). The party had two legislators in the state who had joined the JD (U), following which the state unit was reconstituted.
However, the RJD leaders maintain that the SP does not have much of a base in Bihar to contest in whole of the state.
Though the SP is not so enthusiastic about the Bihar elections, the archrival BSP is all set to contest on all the 243 Assembly constituencies in the state and has already begun the process of identifying candidates. Just before the last year’s Lok Sabha elections, however, the SP and RJD had come to an understanding not to contest in Bihar and UP respectively.