RLSP chief and former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha on Sunday advocated the expansion of the five-party Grand Alliance in Bihar, asserting that efforts will be made to bring Left parties into the fold.

The coalition comprising the RJD, the Congress, the RLSP, former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM(S) and former Bollywood set designer Mukesh Sahni’s VIP had bagged just one out of state’s 40 Lok Sabha seats earlier this year.

“We have to expand the Grand Alliance. We will make efforts to bring the Left parties such as the CPI, the CPI(M) and the CPI(ML) into the fold,” Kushwaha told reporters here at party office.

Asked about the upcoming by-elections to five Assembly and one Lok Sabha seats, Kushwaha said the grand alliance will fight the polls together. While the Assembly seats of Kishanganj, Nathnagar, Belhar, Simri Bakhtiyarpur and Daraundha were vacated by legislators, who had contested and won the general election, the Samastipur Lok Sabha seat fell vacant following the death of sitting MP Ram Chandra Paswan.

Talking about his party’s next move, the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief said a function will be organised to commemorate the death anniversary of freedom fighter and socialist political leader Ram Manohar Lohia in Patna, where the leaders of Left parties would also be invited.

“The programme, to be held at Bapu Sabhagar in Patna, will be attended by all prominent leaders of the Grand Alliance. As its convenor, I will also invite the leaders of Left parties on the occasion,” he insisted. Kushwaha also said he has recently met RJD chief Lalu Prasad, who is serving sentences in fodder scam cases, and discussed with him ways to strengthen the Grand Alliance.

“Prasad is unwell, he needs better treatment. I met him recently and held discussions about the future of the Grand Alliance and what all could be done to strengthen it,” he added.