The Hindu : National : No outside support to Paswan: BJP

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Saturday, Mar 05, 2005

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National

No outside support to Paswan: BJP

By Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI, MARCH 4. The Bharatiya Janata Party today made it clear that it was no mood to give outside support to a possible Bihar Government headed by the Lok Janshakti chief, Ram Vilas Paswan, although it could consider giving such support to a government led by the Janata Dal (United) leader, Nitish Kumar. However, it would have no problem joining a government headed either by Mr. Paswan or Mr. Kumar.

The remarks by a senior BJP leader comes in the context of Mr. Paswan's repeated assertions that he would have no truck with either the BJP or the Rashtriya Janata Dal. The BJP clearly thinks it prudent to hold out a warning that it had no intention of helping Mr. Paswan become the chief minister with nothing in the deal for it.

A senior party leader argued thus: the matter had already been discussed by senior BJP and Janata Dal (United) leaders and they came to the conclusion that they did not want to give legitimacy to any move that would make the BJP accept that it was a communal party or an "untouchable." The JD(U) knows the BJP's stand, the party leader said adding that "the BJP could consider giving outside support" to a government led by Mr. Kumar.

The matter was apparently discussed at a recent informal meeting between the BJP leaders, L.K. Advani, Venkaiah Naidu, Pramod Mahajan, Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj, and the JD (U) leaders, Nitish Kumar and Sharad Yadav.

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