IANS/New Delhi/Patna

After days of talks brokered by Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Janata Parivar yesterday announced that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will lead the charge in state assembly elections with the support of foe-turned-friend Lalu Prasad Yadav.
Mulayam Singh made the much-awaited announcement at his official residence in New Delhi where Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad declared that no one from his family was keen on being the chief ministerial candidate.
“It is the need of the hour that we all get united to stop the BJP,” Lalu Prasad, who cannot run for office due to his conviction in a corruption case, told reporters.
“I assure secular powers... We are ready to make all sacrifices for this battle. I will drink poison but will defeat the communal forces,” said the former chief minister.
In Patna, Nitish Kumar too affirmed his Janata Dal-United’s alliance with the RJD. He said the Congress too will be part of the alliance to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party.
“There is no difference or any dispute with the RJD and Lalu Prasad over the alliance. The JD-U and the RJD along with the Congress will contest the elections together,” he said.
Nitish Kumar said his meeting with Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday in New Delhi over seat-sharing was positive.
BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy played down the significance of the RJD-JD-U bonhomie, saying his party was on a strong wicket in Bihar and didn’t care for Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad.
Until yesterday’s announcement, there was intense speculation that Lalu Prasad was opposed to Nitish Kumar’s projection as the chief ministerial face of the Janata Parivar in Bihar.
But with the Congress and even the Nationalist Congress Party coming out publicly in Nitish Kumar’s favour, Mulayam Singh managed to persuade a reluctant Lalu Prasad to fall in line.
Lalu Prasad said he agreed with the decision as no one in his family was interested in the chief ministerial post.
“No one in my family or the RJD is interested in the chief ministerial post,” he said, underlining the need for the Janata Parivar to be united.
The Bihar elections, which will be the biggest popularity test after the February vote in Delhi where the Aam Aadmi Party crushed the BJP, are likely to be held in September-October.
The RJD, Samajwadi Party and JD-U along with the Janata Dal-Secular, Indian National Lok Dal and Samajwadi Janata Party have decided to merge to revive the united Janata Dal.
Yesterday’s decision will be followed by what are expected to be tough negotiations over who will contest how many of the 243 seats in Bihar.
Asked about seat sharing, Lalu Prasad said: “We will sort out any differences that emerge.”
According to the Bihar assembly website, the JD-U has 110 seats in the current assembly, followed by the BJP (86) and RJD (24). Backing the BJP now is Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (LJP).
JD-U leader K C Tyagi maintained that there were no differences in what is being described as the anti-BJP coalition. “All our differences have been sorted out. Differences in the BJP will now emerge.”
The decision triggered celebrations in the RJD, JD-U and Congress ranks in Bihar.
A group of party leaders and workers distributed sweets at the JD-U and RJD offices, expressing their happiness over the announcement.
“We are really happy. It was bound to happen,” JD-U spokesman Ajay Alok said. The election is likely to be held in September-October.
RJD leader Ramanuj Prasad said this development would strengthen the social support base of Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar. “Both will consolidate their social support.”
JD-U state president Vashisht Narain Singh said: “It is a big development to defeat the BJP.”
Congress leader Prem Chandra Mishra called it a positive step. “The BJP and its allies are shocked as they have been trying hard to foil it.”