The RJD supremo recalled that the secular parties had lost badly in 2009 general elections due to split of votes. On the status of alliance with Congress, Prasad admitted that as of the day he had not got any reply from Congress leadership, but the chapter was not closed as yet. Prasad rued that the LJP had walked out of the alliance and joined communal forces.
The RJD supremo said that as far as he was concerned he was hopeful of an alliance with Congress and will continue to woo its leadership about firming up pre-poll tie in the days to come.
Referring to his “endeavour” to stop the communal forces led by the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi from coming to power at the Centre, Lalu claimed though he had tried to cobble up a broad secular alliance, it was not to be as the Left went ahead with the Third Front move.
“The secular forces stand divided at present against the juggernaut of the communal forces,” Lalu said and urged all anti-communal forces to come on board to prevent Modi from taking over power at the Centre.
Claiming that the Gujarat Chief Minister posed a threat to the unity and integrity of the country and a situation like the post-independence phase could be replicated if the former succeeded in his designs, the RJD supremo urged the forces to collectively take on Modi to ensure that peace and communal amity prevailed in the country.
“Without peace and communal amity, development means nothing,” he said.
Earlier, the RJD parliamentary board met for nearly two hours where the leaders authorised Lalu to take final call on alliance with the Congress and NCP, besides deciding the candidates for the general elections, the RJD national vice-president Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said.
“The RJD parliamentary board has unanimously authorised Lalu Prasad to take decision on alliance and distribution of tickets to the party candidates for the general elections,” he said after emerging out of the meeting.
