The Samajwadi Party (SP), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Lok Jan Shakti Party (LJP) decided to come together in a “secular alliance” to fight the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Besides joint campaigns by the leaders of these parties – Mulayam Singh, Lalu Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan – there is a proposal not to field candidates against one another. The move is expected to consolidate backward class and Muslim votes to their advantage in the two States, which together account for 120 seats.
“We three are together. In north India, the SP, the RJD and the LJP have dominated the secular space. Just as the Congress is seeking to expand its base in Bihar and U.P. [with the failure of pre-poll alliances], the SP, RJD and LJP too have the right to keep their identity.” Declaring that the SP would not campaign for the Congress, Mr. Singh said, “Let there be a struggle for existence and survival of the fittest.” Asked who would head the new alliance, he said there was no question of a president. “We will seek votes in the name of secularism.”
