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KAVITA CHOWDHURY
New Delhi, February 26
The political machinations in Bihar to form electoral alliances in the run up to the polls, took another turn today with Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) declaring “Congress was not serious on an alliance” and BJP was the “alternative” alliance it was “open to aligning with.” LJP chief Ramvilas Paswan is slated to meet BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi tomorrow in the capital before announcing the tie up with the NDA alliance. Incidentally, Paswan had walked out of the NDA alliance in the wake of the 2002 Gujarat riots but today defended his U turn on the ground that there was a “deadlock” in the existing talks and the party in its best interests had decided to “explore all options.”
A disgruntled LJP walking over to the BJP camp, fits in perfectly with the saffron party’s gameplan as it brings a large chunk of the till now elusive Dalit votes into its kitty.
The BJP is reportedly offering Paswan far more seats, (seven seats including the much sought after Janui seat for Chirag Paswan) than the Congress- RJD combine was ready to part with.
Addressing the media in the capital today after the LJP’s Parliamentary board meeting, Chirag Paswan who heads the board said, “JP Parliamentary Board has passed a resolution that all steps, even if they are strong ones, should be taken in the interest of the party and if an alternative alliance is to be firmed up, party chief Ram Vilas Paswan should take the decision".
Ramvilas Paswan lashed out at “big brother Congress” on whom it had put the onus for shaping up the three party alliance alongwith the RJD. Paswan made no bones about his enmity with the RJD chief. “We had our grievances with RJD for a long time. Still, I had gone to meet Lalu Prasad in jail. But soon after he was out, RJD leaders started saying LJP should be given three seats. That is why we left to Congress to decide the seat sharing. I waited for months, but there was no decision.”
A disgruntled Paswan said, “They assumed that LJP is nothing, it is irrelevant. If one takes 25 seats (RJD) and the other 15 (Congress). It means they do not treat LJP as part of the alliance.... That is why the party has authorised me to explore new alternative".
BJP has ostensibly offered LJP seven out of 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar. The seats for which there is a broad agreement so far include Hajipur, Samastipur, Jamui, Munger, Khagaria and Vaishali.
Congress sources disclosed that the Congress had taken a backseat in the talks as RJD chief Laloo Yadav was not too inclined on the tie up with Paswan. “Laloo Yadav was apprehensive of having to give away more seats to the LJP, so obviously the talks have not fructified,” said a senior Congress general secretary.
The RJD- LJP combine had not been beneficial for Paswan in the last polls and the LJP had not won even a single seat in 2009.
This time around, the LJP is desperate to bag seats in the Lok sabha polls for the party’s own survival.
On the other hand, the Congress’ plans of stitching up the grand alliance seem to have evaporated even before being born.
