Lalu hints at pre-poll alliance, but not at cost of seat

Ranchi, Feb 14 (UNI) With all eyes rivetted at the coming general elections, RJD president Lalu Yadav today urged the party workers to rise from their slumber indicating that alliance, if at all required, would be made only to defeat communal forces in the country.

Mr Yadav, while asserting that the RJD was making its presence felt in many parts of the country, said the party workers could not afford to adopt a 'laid back' attitude as the communal forces were again posing challenge to disrupt the peace of country.

Mr Yadav, also the Railway Minister, was addressing the 'Chetna' rally organised by the party at the historic Morhabadi Ground here.

The RJD chief, hinting at pre-poll allignment to halt the march of ''disrupive elements'', however, sought to clarify that it would not favour reducing its seat share.

In Nagaland, the RJD fielded 35 candidates for the coming Assembly polls.

In a direct warning to the Raj Thakre-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, he said the development was not healthy as it was bound to have adverse impact.

He regretted that in the last polls, the party did not give much emphasis on Jharkhand and despite that the state returned two MPs to Lok Sabha.

But this time it would not happen, said Mr Yadav and asked the state party leadership to organise RJD rallies at block levels all over Jharkhand.

''I will address each of the rallies in the state'', he said.

Giving a clean chit to UPA-backed Madhu Koda government here, he said the RJD gave outside support to the ruling coalition as ''We did not want the BJP to rule the state.'' He then referred to the party's decision to support the CPI candidate in the recently concluded Simaria bypoll which was won by the Left candidate.

Despite his repeated appeals to partymen to strengthen unity and remain alert keeping the Jharkhand elections in mind, he tried to bring home the point the it was not time yet to pull down the Koda government and should be allowed to complete its term.

UNI PRS KK DB1956