Bihar polls: Nitish Kumar-Rahul Gandhi meet vexes Mulayam Singh Yadav

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav is learnt to have voiced strong disapproval of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar meeting Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi earlier on Sunday, without taking the proposed Janata Parivar members into confidence.

Mulayam, who chaired a meeting of the Janata Pariwar members in Delhi, also cautioned Kumar and Lalu to resolve their differences over seat sharing in Bihar at the earliest.

According to sources present during the talks at Mulayam's house, the SP boss was upset over Kumar's meeting Rahul since he is keen that each Janata constituent maintain equal distance with the Congress. What particularly displeased Mulayam was Rahul hinting that he may dump old partner Lalu for Kumar.

Senior SP official Ram Gopal Yadav said Sunday's meeting didn't focus on the formation of Janata Parivar.

According to sources present during the talks at Mulayam's house, the SP boss was upset over Kumar's meeting Rahul since he is keen that each Janata constituent maintain equal distance with the Congress. What particularly displeased Mulayam was Rahul hinting that he may dump old partner Lalu for Kumar.

Senior SP official Ram Gopal Yadav said Sunday's meeting didn't focus on the formation of Janata Parivar.

"The RJD chief is an old defendant of the Gandhi family and has stood by it in crisis. Now that Lalu is a close relative of Mulayam, his humiliation by the Congress can't go down well with the SP," said a political analyst.