Nitish and I are from the same family, says Lalu on alliance with JD(U) after 20 years

As former rivals Janata Dal-United (JD-U) chief Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav shared a dais in Hajipur at a rally for JD(U) candidate Rajendra Rai, Lalu said that the JD(U)-RJD-Congress alliance had been formed to fight against the ‘Ram-raj’ propaganda of the BJP. [caption id=“attachment_1658937” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav said BJP was trying to create ‘Ram-raj’ in the country. Reuters[/caption] “They want to bring Ram-raj into the country. I dare them to bring Ram-raj into the country,” said Lalu, adding that “the alliance has been formed to fight against and prevent such propaganda.” Lalu even went on to question those who voted the BJP to power. “Do you think you did the right thing by voting for them (BJP)?” asked Lalu. He further said that the entire country voted BJP to power as people got hoodwinked by the social media and ‘NaMo’ craze. “Nitish and I are from the same family,” he said. “They said Nitish Kumar went for help to his big brother Lalu. Who else will he go to?” Taking witty digs at his opponents, Lalu called Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan a “climatologist”, suggesting that Paswan was an opportunist who decided political affiliations on the basis of a party’s popularity. Lalu further alleged that the Modi government had failed to check price rise. “Modi government accused the Congress of price rise. But when they got power, they failed to check the same price rise,” he said. “Rail and steel prices have gone up. Vegetables have lost their taste since Modi govt came to power,” said Lalu. Claiming that the word of their alliance had gone to every state in the country, Lalu urged Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to also form an anti-BJP alliance in Uttar Pradesh. “I appeal to Mulayam Singh and Mayawati to enter into an alliance in UP also,” he said. Nitish and Lalu will also hold four other public meetings at Mohiuddinagar, Narkatiyaganj, Chapra and Mohania, as part of their campaign for the assembly by-polls in Bihar, which will be held on 21 August.