Mulayam exploring grand alliance option

The Samajwadi Party is looking at the option of a grand alliance in Uttar Pradesh in the upcoming elections. SP state unit chief, Shivpal Yadav, made the announcement before leaving for New Delhi to invite leaders of JD(U), RJD and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) for the party’s silver jubilee function on November 5 in Lucknow. Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav is contemplating on forming a Bihar-like ‘Mahagathbandhan’ (grand alliance) in Uttar Pradesh to “defeat communal forces”. The Delhi visit of the Samajwadi Party's UP chief comes a day after he invited "all followers of Lohia, Chaudhary Charan Singh and Gandhi to come together and fight communal forces," and he is expected to pursue putting together for the UP elections, a "Grand Alliance" on the lines of the one that fought and won the Bihar elections under Nitish Kumar's stewardship last year.