Patna: The rift in the RJD-LJP alliance
widened on Monday, with the LJP deciding to support Congress
candidate in the bypoll to the Purnia Assembly seat ignoring
RJD's appeal.
State LJP president Pashupati Kumar Paras told reporters
that his party had decided to support the Congress nominee
Ramcharitra Yadav in the Purnia assembly bypoll.
"The decision is based on the report of survey conducted
following the directive of LJP supremo Ramvilas Paswan," he
said, adding even a team led by its legislature party
leader Jakir Ahmed too suggested that the trends were in
favour of Congress.
"We took the decision to avoid the split in secular votes
and also to defeat the NDA nominee," Paras said.
Both the RJD and the LJP had decided against contesting
the bypoll and will support a secular candidate with high
winnability.
Souring relations between the two opposition parties
in Bihar came to the fore on Friday with RJD leaders
Ramchandra Purve and Abdul Bari Siddiqui unilaterally
announcing to support CPI(M) nominee Amit Sarkar, son of
slain CPI(M) MLA Ajit Sarkar, in the bypoll.
Paras said his party's alliance with the RJD stood intact
and would remain in future.
PTI
First Published: Monday, June 20, 2011, 20:46