Paswan refutes BJP claim over Bihar tie-up

The Bihar Assembly elections promises to be a potboiler with more twists and turns in it than the most imaginative dramatic plot.

A day after senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi asserted that Union Steel Minister Ram Vilas Paswan would be tying up with the Janata Dal (United), a BJP ally, Paswan refuted the claim.

According to a statement by Modi in Patna yesterday, Paswan had almost finalised a seat adjustment plan with the JD (U), which is part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

"Nitish Kumar has been talking to Paswan and will be announcing a seat adjustment plan by January 5," he had said.

"Rubbish," said Paswan and added he was part of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), and that if Kumar wanted his party to ally with him, then he would have to renounce all ties with the BJP.

"I have always said I would not ally with the BJP, whatever they may be claiming, I am open to Kumar, but he will have to sever ties with a communal party like the BJP," he said.

The BJP had made no bones about the fact that it was keen on getting Paswan to form a grand coalition against RJD chief and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad. Paswan's deteriorating relations with Prasad is well documented, and the BJP was hoping that it would bring Paswan towards it.

Sources in the BJP, however, said the statement was aimed more at the JD(U) than Paswan. Top sources within the BJP said, reports that attempts were being made to form a tri-party seat adjustment between the Congress, the JD(U) and Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), had forced the BJP's hand.

"We had to show the JD(U) that we knew of the talks between Kumar and Paswan, the RJD is not going to take this lying down and the Congress will have to back off," said a senior BJP office-bearer. With the statement then, the BJP was hoping to sabotage any seat adjustments between the three parties.

Paswan, on his part appeared angry at being "forcibly made an ally." "I had left the NDA when the Gujarat riots happened, why would I now want to go back, I will fight these polls on my own terms," he said.

The Congress, on the other hand had been using the overtures of the JD(U) as a bargaining chip in its negotiations with the RJD for better seats. This was confirmed by a senior RJD leader engaged in seat adjustment talks with the Congress.

"Now of course the Congress too has backed off," he said. Most parties are expected to finalise their plans by the third week of January, till then, the twists and turns are to be expected.

Unhappy over lack of unity among anti-RJD forces in Bihar ahead of the Assembly polls, the RSS today said their failure to cobble a "credible alternative" would be responsible for the possible victory of the Lalu-Rabri regime in the state.