The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), a key ally of the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, will not be attending the opposition meeting in Patna on Friday.

The RLD spokesman Anil Dubey said that owing to his prior engagement abroad, RLD President Jayant Chaudhary will not be attending the opposition meeting in Patna.

The party, however, said it had extended "full support" and "commitment" to the united opposition meeting.

Dubey added that "our alliance leader is Akhilesh Yadav and he would be present there".

Asked if the RLD would send a representative, he said that the meeting would mainly be attended by parties' national presidents.

Jayant, in a letter, has already informed the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar that he will not be able to attend the meet because of "personal reasons".

But, Jayant said, he hoped that the meet would prove to be "decisive" in bolstering the opposition unity.

"Opposition unity is the need of the hour given the threat posed by the communal forces to the democratic set up," he had said, insisting that the opposition should initiate the process of dialogue and come up with a practical and visionary scheme. (IANS/NS)