Samajwadi Party's Kiranmoy Nanda with NCP leader Tariq Anwar and others during a press conference in Patna. (PTI)
Samajwadi Party (SP) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) today announced entering into alliance for the coming Bihar assembly elections and claimed they were in talks with some other anti-BJP and anti-Congress regional parties.
The alliance was announced at a joint press meet by SP Secretary General Kiranmoy Nanda and NCP General Secretary Tariq Anwar in Patna.
Both SP and NCP have walked out of the secular alliance in Bihar alleging humiliation in distribution of seats to them and joined hands for a third alternative in the crucial polls.
Mr Nanda and Mr Anwar, who were accompanied by SP Bihar chief Ramchandra Singh Yadav, said eight-10 regional parties opposed to BJP and Congress were in touch with them to be part of the grouping to give a tough fight to the two alliances in all 243 seats in the poll.
While Mr Anwar voiced a strict no to Asauddin Owaisi's AIMIM, the two leaders were not very categorical about Janadhikar Morcha of Madhepura MP Pappu Yadav.
Asked about chances of tie-up with Left parties, Mr Anwar said there was no response from them.
The Left parties have formed their own front for the polls comprising of six parties - CPI, CPI-ML, CPM, SUCI, RSP and Forward Bloc.
Mr Nanda and Mr Anwar identified National Peoples Party of former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma and Samras Samaj Party of former Union minister Nagmani as possible future partners.
The SP secretary general said a three-member committee comprising Mr Anwar, Raghunath Jha and Ramchandra Singh Yadav would hold talks with parties interested in joining the alliance and also finalise candidates.
Mr Nanda said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav would address a joint function of workers of SP, NCP and other parties which would be part of the grouping in Patna on September 22.
NCP had severed ties with the grand alliance of JD(U)-RJD-Congress after being offered only three seats.
SP participated in the Swabhiman rally on August 30 but announced its exit the grand alliance after being offered 5 seats.