After a bitter break-up with the Nationalist Congress Party on seat sharing issue, the Congress in Gujarat announced on Thursday that it has acquired support of Lalu Prasad Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal in Gujarat for the coming Lok Sabha polls.
"For the 15th Lok Sabha, the RJD will support the Congress in Gujarat. They will help us in our campaigns and public meetings," state Congress president Siddharth Patel said. When asked if Yadav, who has not entered into a pre-poll alliance with the Congress at the Central level, has permitted its state unit to support the party, Patel said, "This decision has been taken at the instance of the RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav. He is still with the United Progressive Alliance," Patel said.
RJD state unit president Aslam Malik who was present at the Congress office said that the decision was taken by the the party high command. "We will be supporting the Congress nominees in the state and will also campaign to get the maximum number of votes for the single phase election to be held on April 30," Malik said. The RJD which is active in the state since past 3-4 years, has so far not contested either the Assembly nor the Lok Sabha polls. It has a miniscule presence in the state. However, both party leaders agreed the fact that the fight is between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
When Patel was asked about the relation between Congress and NCP after the seat sharing talks failed, he claimed that they would be having a friendly fight. "We had offered NCP the Surat LS seat, but they also wanted the Rajkot seat, which we could not spare," Patel said. Congress candidate Dhiru Gajera filed his papers from Surat on Thursday, Patel said. "NCP has decided to contest seven seats. But it will be a friendly fight between the two parties," he said.
