New Delhi:  Nitish Kumar will lead an anti-BJP coalition for this year's Bihar Assembly elections announced  Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav today while thanking Lalu Prasad Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal for nominating Nitish to be the alliance's presumptive chief minister.

Mulayam Singh's announcement ended days of speculation that the proposed alliance between Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) and Lalu Prasad's RJD in the state would be a non-starter, as senior leaders of both parties made tough public statements on the issue of choosing a chief ministerial candidate.

Lalu Prasad Yadav recommending Nitish Kumar's name as the CM candidate is a signal of unity in the ranks of the nation-wide partnership of socialist parties.