Tuesday, May 3 2005 12:16 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Lucknow: Electorally the most crucial States, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are set to witness a fierce turf war between the two leading Yadavs of politics - Mulayam Singh and Laloo Prasad.

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief and Chief Minister of UP, Mulayam Singh Yadav, initiated the battle by fielding his party candidates in Assembly elections in Bihar earlier this year and even managed to win four seats.

The SP had also organised its national convention in Patna recently, giving clear indications of his desire to gain a foothold in Bihar.

On the other hand, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Laloo Prasad was courting anti-Mulayam elements in Uttar Pradesh in a bid to give a befitting reply to the SP president in his home turf, RJD sources said.

Laloo has given instructions to strengthen the RJD's organisational set-up in UP and hold a series of party rallies and conferences in the State, they said.

Soon after the harvest of rabi crop, the RJD supremo has decided to hold rallies and conferences in eastern UP, bordering Bihar and was trying to revamp the party organisation there, the sources said.

They added the former Bihar Chief Minister was also finalising plans to hold rallies with the cooperation of Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) president Salman Khurshid and former UP Minister Ashok Yadav, a strong political opponent of the SP supremo, in Mulayam Singh Yadav's turf covering Mainpuri, Etah and Etawah districts in central UP.

Ashok Singh, Rashtriya Yuva Janata Dal national president and a close confidante of Laloo Prasad Yadav, told sources that efforts had already started to expand the party's support base and strengthen the organisational set-up in eastern UP.

He also claimed some political leaders of the ruling and Opposition parties in UP, frustrated with the SP, were in touch with the RJD.

Laloo's presence at a recent wedding at the residence of SP MP Afzal Ansari in Jaunpur had created murmurs in political circles as the MP's brother and Mafia don Mukhtar Ansari heaped praises on the Railway Minister.