Bihar bypoll: Nitish Kumar seeks Lalu Prasad's support for 2 Rajya Sabha seats

Patna: Janata Dal United leader Nitish Kumar's on Saturday sought Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad's support in the coming bypoll for two Rajya Sabha seats in Bihar.

"I have talked to Lalu Prasad, Congress state chief Ashok Choudhary, its legislature party leader Sadanand Singh and CPI secretary Rajendra Singh seeking their support for victory of two JDU candidates in the bypoll to Rajya Sabha in Bihar," Nitish Kumar said.

The two JDU nominees -- diplomat-politician Pawan Varma and Gulam Rasool Balyawi -- are facing stiff challenge from Independents -- real estate baron Anil Sharma and Sabir Ali who are being backed by party rebels and the BJP in the June 19 bypoll.

The party leader and former chief minister said he has appealed to the three secular parties to foil BJP's "design of destabilising the Jitan Ram Manjhi government and thrust an early election in Bihar".

Asked to comment on whether his approaching arch rival Lalu Prasad to bail out the JD(U) candidates was due to political compulsion, Kumar retorted, "No it is because of political circumstance."

To another question on burying the hatchet and joining hands with Lalu now after spearheading the campaign against him during the past two decades, Kumar said "It is due to political circumstance as we have now to fight a common enemy in BJP which is mocking at us."

"The BJP is the main conspirator in the RS bypoll (for supporting rebellion within JD-U and backing two Independents).It aims to destabilise the Jitan Ram Manjhi government and thrust an early election in Bihar," he said.

Arithmetic is weighing against ruling JDU in the bypoll. In Bihar Assembly, whose effective strength at present is 232 due to 11 vacancies, the JDU has 117 MLAs including the speaker, BJP 84, RJD 21, Congress 4, Independents 5 and CPI 1.

In normal circumstances the victory of the JDU candidate was guaranteed but with a large number of its legislators turning rebels and supporting independents along with BJP, the vote of 21 RJD MLAs holds the key to the result in the bypoll.