No decision yet, but open to alliance with BJP: Ram Vilas Paswan

Zee Media Bureau

Patna: Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan on Wednesday said that the option of going in for an alliance with the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls was open, as the Congress appeared to be non-serious on alliance talks. Addressing a press conference after the party`s parliamentary board meet here, Paswan said, “There is less seriousness in Congress regarding alliance with the LJP. For six months we have been kept waiting but no final decision has been taken on seat-sharing.” “I had met both Sonia ji and CP Joshi ji twice and was told that the Congress would decide on seat-sharing by December 31, but nothing has happened,” Paswan rued. The LJP chief also hit out at his Bihar ally Lalu Prasad, saying “we were being taken for granted in our alliance with the RJD”. “In view of all this, we have kept option of a possible alliance with the BJP open. Some leaders of our party are open to alliance with the BJP,” Paswan said, in an apparent warning to the Congress and the BJP. Paswan assured that a final decision on alliance will be taken in three to four days. Paswan`s son Chirag too addressed the media, saying, “We are exploring options obviously because we are not happy with the current alliance.” “Party`s national president will take a final decision on alliance,” he added. Chirag had earlier said that a final decision on alliance with the BJP will be taken after the parliamentary board`s meeting. Reports had suggested that the LJP chief will meet BJP`s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi if the parliamentary board approves an alliance with the principle opposition party. Chirag had also said that since SIT has given a clean chit to the Gujarat Chief Minister in connection with the communal riots cases, there is no debate on the issue, and his party respects the court verdict. Chirag`s alleged meeting with BJP chief Rajnath Singh recently had fuelled speculation about an alliance between the two parties in Bihar. If LJP goes for an an alliance with the BJP, the Congress will lose a big ally before the Lok Sabha polls. LJP, which broke the alliance with NDA post Gujarat riots in 2002, is prepared to make a U-turn after RJD and Congress refused to give it more than five Lok Sabha seats in Bihar. A section of Bihar BJP has expressed its disapproval of the tie-up, saying it will harm the party`s anti-corruption plank and hurt its support base, a PTI report said. Bihar BJP leader Ashwini Kumar Choubey has already come out against the tie-up, saying it would be "suicidal" for the party. Choubey has termed LJP a "corrupt, dynastic and casteist" party. However, it is said that former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi and leader of the opposition in the Assembly Nand Kishore Yadav, are positive about the alliance proposal.