Nitish hopes to rope in LJP rebels

ASSEMBLY POLL: BIHAR

With an eye on the 34 per cent "floating" vote""12 per cent that went to Ramvilas Paswan's Lok Janashakti Party and 22 per cent that went to independents"" National Democratic Alliance nominee for chief ministership of Bihar, Nitish Kumar today said rebel LJP leaders and Independents would both be accommodated in the forthcoming Assembly election in the state.

Kumar, however, did not explain how. If new entrants into the NDA are to be accommodated, it will be difficult to placate existing nominees who were defeated by the LJP and Independent candidates.

"We will fine tune our strategy and make it fool-proof. We will have better coordination this time and work on a common minimum programme aimed at an all-round development of Bihar," Kumar told PTI here. Kumar said only minor adjustments were required in ticket distribution this time.

He identified the late launching of campaign during the last election as a "mistake". He said this time, the campaign would be kicked off in the second half of June for an election that might take place in October or November, as indicated by the Election Commission.

Asked what advantages the NDA had compared with the United Progressive Alliance, he said last time, it was not very clear whether the polls would mark the end of Lalu-rule. "But, people have realised that it is possible to remove the Lalu-Rabri regime, and now the electorate will vote for us enbloc," he said.

"The people of Bihar have become aware. There will be no hung verdict this time. They will give a decisive mandate. People will vote for change. They will vote for the NDA," the Janata Dal (United) leader asserted.

Kumar also said this time the main issue would be the "injustice done to us by forcing the dissolution of the House by the RJD".

Kumar said this was not something that only the NDA was saying. An ally of the UPA itself, Ramvilas Paswan, had charged publicly that RJD chief Lalu Prasad had threatened Sonia Gandhi that if his wife, Rabri Devi, failed to become the chief minister, he would topple the government at the Centre, the JD(U) leader said.

"We will ensure that the dissolution of the Bihar Assembly boomerangs on the RJD. People will vote for us in sympathy," he said.

The other electoral issues will be the law and order situation in the state, and the restoration of social amity for an all-round development, including irrigation facilities, power, health care and setting up of schools.

Nitish said with the LJP virtually "out of the reckoning", the election will be a straight fight between the NDA and the RJD-Congress alliance, and "we will have an upper hand".