The Hindu : National : Open to tie-up with Congress, Left: Paswan

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Sunday, Dec 26, 2004

National

National

Open to tie-up with Congress, Left: Paswan

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, DEC. 25. The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) today left the door open for a last-minute alliance with the Congress and Left parties in Bihar.

In a resolution adopted at the conclusion of the meeting of its national executive, the LJP said that "while it has decided to contest the elections in Bihar, Jharkhand and Haryana on its own it would welcome an alliance with the Congress and the Left parties."

Briefing presspersons, the LJP party chief, Ram Vilas Paswan, reiterated the party's position on electoral understanding with the Janata Dal (U). "As long as they are in the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance that question does not arise. Let them first break their links with the BJP," he said. He asserted that he was not going to be swayed by the JD (U) leader, Nitesh Kumar's offer to make him Chief Minister.

"This is not the first time such an offer has been made to me. V. P. Singh and Vajpayee made similar offers in 1989 and 1999."

"No going back to RJD"

Mr. Paswan made it clear that there was no question of a rapprochement with the Rashtriya Janata Dal of Lalu Prasad at the behest of the UPA leadership. "This issue does not concern the UPA. In the states we are free to chalk our own path." He also discounted suggestions that the LJP-RJD tussle in Bihar would have an impact on the stability of the UPA Government at the Centre. "No matter what the result, there is no danger to the UPA Government."

The LJP leader launched a scathing attack on the RJD and accused its leadership of "misleading" the people of Bihar for over a decade. "The people of my State cannot be allowed to wallow in misery any longer. They certainly deserve better. If voted to power, we will put the State back on the road to recovery and prosperity."

The LJP national executive passed a resolution on the condition of minorities under RJD rule. "They have got nothing but false promises despite supporting Mr. [Lalu] Prasad all these years." The resolution said the dalit-minority vote put together was more than a match for the RJD's M-Y (Muslim-Yadav) combination. Mr. Paswan said the LJP would contest all 81 seats in Jharkhand and 90 in Haryana. Lalit Kumar Gautam, a dalit, would be its chief ministerial candidate in Haryana.

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