SP dumps JDU-RJD-Cong alliance over seat sharing

Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party has walked out of the Janata Parivar in Bihar following differences over the number of seats that its leadership wanted to contest in the state Assembly elections scheduled to be held sometime in October and November.

Samajwadi Party, which has a negligible presence in Bihar, had been given five seats by the Janata Dal United-Rashtriya Janata Dal-Congress alliance. Intially the Mulayam led party was not given any seat by the JDU-RJD-Congress alliance and only after Samajwadi party's Bihar unit raised a hue and cry, it was allotted five seats - two from the RJD quota and three given to the Nationalist Congress Party which has also decided to contest alone.

"Samajwadi Party Parliamentary Board has decided to contest Bihar elections independently. Talks are on with other parties. When we were in alliance, the bigger parties in the alliance should have consulted the smaller parties before deciding on seats," said senior leader Ram Gopal Yadav.

"We don't want to speculate and if need be, we will speak to some other parties for support but it's not on the table as of now," added Ram Gopal Yadav.