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Decision on Bihar late but correct: RJD Minister

Special Correspondent

`Attempts of NDA were directed at preventing RJD from coming to power'

JAIPUR: The Union Minister for Rural Development and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, on Tuesday welcomed the dissolution of the Bihar Assembly, saying it was a "late but correct decision", and affirmed that his party would contest the elections in "complete alliance" with the Congress and Left parties. He said the President's rule could not have continued indefinitely in Bihar.

Mr. Singh, who was here to attend a review meeting of the rural development projects launched in Rajasthan, said the possibility of including the Lok Jan Shakti Party in the broad alliance of like-minded parties would depend on the LJP chief, Ram Vilas Paswan. "The ball is in Mr. Paswan's court, but I would say that imposing one's conditions on others cannot be termed an honest effort for the formation of Government".

Mr. Singh, talking to reporters at the Indira Gandhi Panchayati Raj Sansthan here, pointed out that the RJD, after emerging as the single largest party in the previous Assembly elections, was the only group that had staked the claim for forming the Government. He said the attempts of National Democratic Alliance were directed at preventing the RJD from coming to power, but the latter had the capacity to win even if went to the hustings alone.

The Minister said the NDA's criticism of the Governor, Buta Singh, smacked of its frustration and confusion, while the LJP's stance during the President's rule was also not consistent. There were clear attempts of horse-trading of MLAs as many of them were taken to Jharkhand, he added.

Mr. Singh said the electorate in Bihar was mature enough not to allow division of votes leading to a "confused verdict" giving absolute majority to no one. He hoped that the RJD would triumph in protecting the values for which the United Progressive Alliance had been formed.

Earlier, Mr. Singh reviewed the progress of 14 Centrally- sponsored rural development schemes in force in Rajasthan and assured of timely allocation of funds for their proper implementation. He called for strict monitoring of employment generation and wasteland development projects.

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Decision on Bihar late but correct: RJD Minister

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