JD-U is with NDA, says Nitish Kumar

Ruling out any truck with either the Congress or Third Front, key National Democratic Alliance constituent Janata Dal-United on Thursday made it clear that the party is with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led alliance.

"There is no question of any tie-up with Congress. As far as JD-U is concerned, we do not think of either Third Front or any other option. We have only one option, we are with NDA," senior party leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar told media persons in New Delhi.

"If people vote NDA to power, a government led by Advani ji will be formed. If this does not happen, we will respect peoples' verdict," Kumar added.

Asked to comment on the alliance of Samajwadi Party, Lok Janshakti Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Kumar said, "They keep on fighting and then again coming together."

"Mulayam Singh ji had helped Lalu a lot but the latter ignored him completely, when his requirement was over. When Mulayam was in crisis, these friends (LJP and RJD) were not ready to utter even a word in his favour," Kumar commented.

"Lalu did not return the help Mulayam gave him in past. If the SP chief, after all this, is again willing to help Lalu out in his hour of crisis, let him do so," he added.

Kumar said the United Progressive Alliance has disintegrated in Bihar and there is no fight between NDA and UPA there now but "Congress and RJD-LJP are fighting with each other."

He claimed the RJD chief humiliated the Congress, which was riding "piggyback" on Lalu Prasad.

The Bihar chief minister also downplayed the recent meeting between senior Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury and JD-U chief Sharad Yadav saying, "No guess should be made about any political alliance from this meeting. Yechury keeps on visiting Yadav."

Taking a jibe at the SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who had formed a "secular alliance" with LJP and RJD in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, Nitish Kumar said, "One time, he declares a war against the Congress and the next time he also saves a Congress-led government, which was about to fall and even after this there is no cordial relation between them."

Referring to the cash for vote scam during the July 22 trust vote last year, he said, "The immoral manner which was adopted to save the UPA government after withdrawal of support by the Left, will be recorded in history. It will be remembered as an example."

"As far as Bihar is concerned, the divided UPA is not in a position to fight us. Now, Lalu is speaking against Congress. They could not get votes even when united and now they do not exist at all," he said.

Kumar said election issues for him in the state would be the "injustices" done to Bihar by the Centre--the "non- contribution" of Union ministers from Bihar towards the state's development, work done by his government and doing away with the "earlier atmosphere of fear in the Lalu-Rabri reign."