Lalu & Paswan to tie up with CPI & CPM for Jharkhand polls

NEW DELHI: In a move that could add to the troubles of Congress in Jharkhand, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and the two communist parties are all set to forge an alliance for the assembly elections beginning later this month.

RJD���s Lalu Prasad has already held consultations with leaders of CPM, CPI and LJP, according to sources. The front, which is planning to take on both Congress and BJP, is taking shape at a time when a split UPA is still looking for allies in the state.

With JMM taking an anti-Congress stand, Congress is trying to rope in Babulal Marandi���s Jharkhand Vikas Morcha. RJD was also trying to reach out to Mr Marandi���s party while exploring various poll strategies in Jharkhand.

LJP, which was earlier keen on fighting elections as part of UPA, has now agreed to have an electoral adjustment with RJD, CPM and CPI. The seat-sharing arrangement is likely to be worked out this week, party sources said.

Though leaders of the proposed alliance are reluctant to call it a third front, their targets will be UPA at the Centre and BJP in the state. Making promises of providing a ���stable, pro-people and secular government���, the alliance will also make local issues like NREGA and tribal backwardness its poll planks.

While RJD has some presence with seven legislators in the state, carved out of Bihar in 2000, CPI has one assembly seat and CPM none. Interestingly, the All India Forward Bloc, which has two seats in the state, is unlikely to align with the communist parties in the state.

The RJD chief is hoping to play at least kingmaker in the event of a hung assembly after the polls. His rival in Bihar, JD-U, is also in search for partners, with BJP spurning it in Jharkhand. Nominations for the first of the five-phase assembly elections began on Saturday.