Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad in Delhi, alliance talks likely

NEW DELHI: Key leaders of the ' Janata Parivar' outfits, including Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav and RJD chief Lalu Prasad have arrived here and may meet amid efforts for forging an alliance ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.

Sharad Yadav (JD-U), Ajit Singh (RLD), besides Shivpal Yadav, who heads SP's UP unit and is a keen votary of the alliance, are also here.

"Meetings of senior leaders of different parties with Mulayam Singh Yadav may happen," a senior leader said.

In a show of solidarity, all these leaders had come together for the SP's silver jubilee celebrations in Lucknow on November 5 after Shivpal Yadav, who has received support from Mulayam in his feud with state Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, gave a call for unity among erstwhile Janata Dal leaders.

JD(U) spokesperson K C Tyagi said if the SP President takes a lead in uniting these leaders his party will welcome it, noting that any such move will be in line with JD(U) President and Bihar Chief Nitish Kumar's call for a "Sangh-mukt" (RSS-free) India.

Underlining the need for unity, he said UP has become an experimental ground for the BJP's "communal politics" as he cited issues like 'Love Jihad', Kairana migration and Muzaffarnagar riots raised by its leaders and RSS affiliates.

An RLD leader said talks between leaders had taken place but the main issue is about distribution of seats among them.

"SP is the biggest party so it is for them to take initiative and finalise seat-sharing arrangements. We expect Mulayam Singh Yadav to hold meetings with various leaders in this regard," he said, adding other than SP, only RLD was a serious player among various Janata Parivar outfits in Uttar Pradesh.