Paswan sticks to his stand on Bihar govt

With no signs of a popular government being installed in Bihar, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader Ram Vilas Paswan today repeated his conditions for formation of a government saying the JD(U) should come out of the NDA and a Muslim should become chief minister.

"Out of the NDA, the JD(U) and other parties like the CPI(ML), the CPI and the Samajwadi Party can join us and to form the government in Bihar. President's rule is only a temporary phase," he told reporters here.

"However, President's rule is better than the RJD's. We are hopeful that a government would be formed in Bihar and it would be against the RJD," Paswan said.

He said a three-day meeting of party leaders would be held in Patna from April 2 to assess the impact of President's rule in Bihar. Paswan ruled out the possibility of his being a contender for the post of chief ministership saying he was not aspiring for it. "A Muslim can be chief minister," he added.

To a question whether he had met JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar on the government formation, he said "some leaders had met me from Nitish Kumar's side."

Asked whether he suggested any advisers to the state governor, he replied in the negative. On a query whether there was any move by him to leaving the ruling UPA, he said, "I am not leaving the UPA. For, the day I do it, it means that I am supporting the NDA."

To another question if his party favoured fresh elections in view of the hung Assembly and none of the combinations coming together to form the government, he said, "We are not in favour of fresh Assembly elections."

Describing his having gone with the BJP-led NDA in 1999 Lok Sabha elections as "a risk at the behest of the people," Paswan said this was "only to defeat the RJD in the state which had in the last 15 years completely ruined Bihar."

He said political parties including the Janata Dal of former Prime Minister VP Singh had also taken the support of the BJP since at that time there was a stronger anti-Congress feeling that no one raised the bogey of the BJP.

"In today's situation we (LJP) decided not to go with the BJP-led NDA or the RJD. I always was of the view that the RJD cannot form the government in Bihar and my stand has been vindicated. The peoples verdict seems to be a hung Assembly," Paswan said.