Sometimes, family ties do not matter in politics. Mulayam Singh Yadav who established family relationship with Lalu Yadav by getting the grandson of his brother married to Lalu’s daughter early this year has pulled out of ‘Maha Gathbandhan’ or Grand Alliance against BJP led NDA in forthcoming assembly elections in Bihar. Samajvadi Party snapped its ties with ‘Janata Parivar’ by declaring that the SP would contest elections on its own.
After having declared that all splinter groups of Janata Parivar would merge and reunite as one family, the Samajavadi Party was shown the door by Lalu and Nitish who between them divided seats- each getting 100 seats to contest out of a total of 243 seats in Bihar. The Congress has been given 40 seats to contest and the Party is happy with it while the Nationalist Congress Party was given 3 seats only. The NCP stalwart, Sharad Pawar felt humiliated with this share of seats and pulled out of the alliance. NCP has decided to contest on its own. But the humiliation of Mulayam Singh was greater as his Party was denied any seat to contest as alliance partner. As if to show sympathy Lalu Yadav declared that he would give 5 seats to Samajvadi Party from his RJD quota of 100 seats. It was like rubbing salt on the wound. Mulayam is said to be furious with this offer. It like throwing crumbs from ‘leftover’ of a grand dinner party.
It would be premature to conclude that Samajbadi Party would finally decide to contest Bihar elections on its own since efforts are on to persuade and placate Mulayam Singh not to desert Janata Parivar. Whatever be the outcome, trouble for the Maha Gathbandhan is not over. The Assaudin Owaisi is now having a second thought whether to contest elections in Bihar after having declared that his Party would contest 24 seats in Bihar. His All India Majlis e- Ittehadul Muslimeen Party may contest a dozen odd seats from Muslim dominated constituencies to mark his presence in Bihar. That would mean cutting into the Muslim vote bank of Nitish and Lalu who claim that minorities are with them. The other day a large number of Muslims had come to attend and listen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Parivartan Rally in Bhagalpur. It is advantage BJP as people of the state are fed up with leaders whose sole plank is caste and religion. Development has no place in politics of the leaders like Nitish and Lalu.
...R K Sinha,MP (Rajya Sabha)
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