The party will formally be launched at Patna on July 11. Alongwith Yadav, its co-founders will be former Bihar BJP president Tarakant Jha, former MP Kameshwar Paswan and Yashodanand Singh (MLC).

While Yadav is still a member of the BJP, the other three leaders were recently expelled from the party for indulging in anti-party activties. The four leaders have had a running feud with party general secretary K N Govindacharya whom they have accused of fomenting factionalism in the party's Bihar unit.

While declaring that the proposed regional party will contest 15 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, Yadav disclosed that talks were already on with the leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Trinamool Congress for a electoral tie-up. ``We've already heldtwo rounds of talks with former Lok Sabha Speaker and senior NCP leader P A Sangma,'' he said.

Interestingly, while extending the hand of friendship to these parties, Yadav also professed his commitment to the issues of Ramjanmabhoomi Temple at Ayodhya, Article 370 and Common Civil Code. ``BJP has lost its distinctiveness by straying from its core issues. For old-timers like us, who are wedded to the party's basic ideological moorings, it has become very difficult to remain in the party,'' he said.

He also was effusive in his praise for Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. ``In fact, we've made it clear to the NCP leaders that in the post-poll scenario, we'll support Vajpayeeji for the post of Prime Minister,'' Yadav asserted.

Yadav, at the same time, was very critical of Home Minister L K Advani and BJP general secretary Govindacharya. ``The latter has encouraged factionalism in the party's Bihar unit by openly backing a group of leaders led by Sushil Kumar Modi,'' he said, adding, ``The party isfunctioning as the Rashtriya Janata Dal's B-team in the state.''

In fact, he observed, RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav, leader of Opposition in Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi and Bihar BJP president Nand Kishore Yadav are hand-in-glove with each other.