Now, a joint press meet of Lalu, Paswan and Mulayam

Three socialist friends-turned-foes - Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad Yadav and Ramvilas Paswan...

Three socialist friends-turned-foes — Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad Yadav and Ramvilas Paswan — will address a joint press conference on Monday that could well be a precursor to the formation of a broader alliance in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Though party insiders said the conference will attack the BJP on the “cash for vote” scandal, the coming together of the trio after many years is what holds more significance.

Significantly, LJP chief Paswan, who has been castigating RJD chief Lalu Prasad, will host the two Yadav satraps at his residence. The meeting, said sources, has been facilitated by Congress president Sonia Gandhi in her bid to keep the UPA united with an eye on the polls.

Surprisingly, at a rally three days ago in Maner, 30 km from Patna, Paswan had clearly hinted he would have no truck with the RJD in the elections. He had even declared the candidature of Ranjan Prasad Yadav from Pataliputra, the constituency from where Lalu is expected to contest.

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Several senior LJP leaders told The Indian Express that they were not in the know of the press meet.

Party sources said though the three may take on the BJP and the Left, and touch upon the growing concern among Muslims over the n-deal, the larger objective could be to send out a signal that the UPA stood united.

Of the three, Lalu is desperately in need of an understanding with both Mulayam and Paswan for a credible performance in the polls. While an alliance with Mulayam will consolidate the Yadav votebase, Paswan can fetch him Dalit votes.