Lok Janashakti to contest 60 seats in Maharashtra

National president of the Lok Janashakti Party (LJP) and Union minister for chemical, fertilisers and steel, Ram Vilas Paswan on Sunday reiterated his demand for reservation of jobs in the private sector.

He announced that his party would contest elections from up to 60 Assembly seats in Maharashtra. "It can be less, but not more," he said.

Paswan said he was "assessing the strength" of his party in the state and holding a series of workers' camps at Nashik, Aurangabad, Sangli, Nagpur, Akola and Mumbai.

"The purpose of this tour in Maharashtra is to appoint office bearers of the party, assess our strength and that of other major political parties," he said.

Paswan said the series of meetings were to inform the cadres of three resolutions taken by the Lok Janashakti Party.

These include pressing for formation of the de-limitation commission, informing people about the spirit behind the common minimum programme (CMP) and raising the demand for job reservations in the private sector.

"I have called a meeting of all scheduled caste and scheduled tribe MPs at Delhi and the Prime Minister is also slated to attend it. We will discuss the issue of reservations in the private sector," said Paswan adding that the industry can no longer claim that employment be given only on merit.

"When education is not on merit and admissions can be legaaqlly bought through the capitation fee route, why should merit be an issue in employment," he posed.

Paswan said, employment should be guaranteed under the constitution and maintained that even developed nations like the US were employing minority blacks as a regulation.

If disinvestment proceeds are expected at Rs 50,000 crore at least Rs 12,000 crore should be kept aside as a special fund to educate and train people so that can be gainfully employed in the private sector, he argued.

Paswan said his party was demanding the right to work, right to education and right to health be guaranteed under the constitution.

All public schools should be made to admit at least a third of the total strength of students from backward classes and slums. The management of such schools should fund their education and if necessary the government should also lend support, he demanded.

Paswan also wanted the benefits of reservations be extended to include Christian and Muslim dalits.