Lalu Prasad: Satisfied

Patna, Oct. 30: The marathon session of talks between RJD-LJP and Left remained inclusive on the third day today, with the CPI claiming that the alliance was nearly final.

“The alliance between the CPI, the CPM and the RJD stands almost formalised,” said CPI’s Jharkhand secretary Bhubaneshwar Mehta told The Telegraph, adding: “Three seats on which the LJP is staking its claim remains the bone of contention.”

Mehta and senior Left leaders were still in the middle of talks at Lalu Prasad’s Patna residence when this report was filed. It is believed that the dialogues will continue till tomorrow. Sources in both Left and RJD camps indicate that the Left had agreed to contest in “complete alliance” with the RJD. But, they were in no mood to concede seats to the LJP on the ground that the party had “little presence” in Jharkhand.

However, Lalu Prasad supposedly insisted that the LJP be accommodated to “broaden the secular alliance”. Lalu allegedly also tried to convince the Left that accommodating the LJP in Jharkhand would prove beneficial for 2010 Bihar polls. “If the Left leaders accommodate the LJP it will open the door for a strong RJD-LJP and Left alliance in Bihar as well,” said Lalu.

Bhubaneshwar Mehta who represented the Left today at the dialogue session hoped that the alliance would be cemented by tomorrow when the CPM leaders, too, would join in the session.

RJD-LJP paper

With chief minister Nitish Kumar gearing up to present a report card on NDA’s achievements in the past four years, the LJP-RJD combination has decided to publish a white paper on the government on the same day — November 24.

“We will highlight upon the government failures in the report,” warned state LJP president Pashupati Kumar Paras.

He said the LJP would place their report before the public relating the real facts behind the misleading promises of the “regime”, including those on the law and order and development.

Yesterday, the RJD had said that it would bring out a chargesheet against the NDA government.