Paswan's party to get poll panel's recognition

The Election Commission today said it would recognise the Lok Janashakti Party (LJP)-led by Ramvilas Paswan, setting at rest one set of doubts, but raising a whole host of others.

The LJP candidates had fought on a common symbol but there were some doubts about whether the party had registered itself with the Election Commission.

The implications of this are obvious. If a party is recognised by the Election Commission, its candidates cannot move/defect to any other party without violating the anti-defection law.

On the other hand, if it is not recognised and the commission only allots a symbol, its candidates are free to move to any other party and this is not deemed to be a violation of the law.

In the current Bihar situation, this assumes vital importance. Paswan is in danger of his party legislators being poached upon by both the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), which need LJP legislators in order to form a government in Bihar.

How Paswan will guard his flock or whether he has had a legislature party meeting is not known. But with both the UPA and the NDA having limitless resources at their disposal, he will need all the help he can get in keeping his MLAs together.

The LJP has won 30 seats and holds the key to government-formation but has steadfastly rejected the possibility of either giving or taking support of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) or the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

With Assembly election results signalling a hung House in Bihar, the ruling RJD today said it would seek the support from like-minded secular parties but the LJP promptly rejected outright any truck with Lalu' party.

"I have already said the LJP will neither seek nor extend support for formation of a government led by either the RJD or the BJP-JD(U combine," Paswan said.

Earlier during the day, RJD spokesman Sivanand Tiwari and Union Minister of State for Food Akhilesh Singh said their party would approach Paswan for support to form a government.

Union minister and senior RJD leader Akhilesh Prasad Singh and party's national spokesman Shivanand Tiwari said they would approach Paswan for support.

Paswan, however, rejected outright any chance of his either lending or taking support from the RJD or the NDA and said he would prefer imposition of President's Rule in case no combination was in a position to form government.