With speculations about the Congress’ overtures to the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, the party patriarch and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, crediting him for his “pro-poor policies.”
Mr. Paswan refused to answer the questions on the LJP’s future in the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) even as the tussle between his son and party president Chirag Paswan and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar is out in the open.
“Desh main neta ya niti ki kami nahi hain. Kami hai toh niyat ki. Aur Prime Minister Narendra Modi ne dikha diya ki unke paas garibo ko madad karne ki niyat bhi hai (The country has no paucity of leaders or policy, what we are lacking is in leaders with the right intention. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shown once again that he has every intention to help the poor),” he said.
On his birthday on July 5, Mr. Modi had wished him on Twitter calling him a “major asset” for his government. Recalling Mr. Modi’s words, Mr. Paswan said, “I am committed towards PM Modi.”
He redirected all the questions related to rumours about the LJP warming up to the Congress to his son Mr. Chirag Paswan, saying he no longer looks into the party’s affairs. Mr. Chirag Paswan, after weeks of criticism of Mr. Nitish Kumar, has gone mum.
The LJP, as per sources, is keeping an “open mind.” It is holding dialogue with both sides, the NDA and Mahagathbandhan, an alliance of opposition parties. “ If and when we feel too suffocated in NDA due to Nitish Kumar we are ready to strike out on our own or join Mahagatbandhan,” a senior LJP leader said.
It has laid out its matrix of conditions and is waiting to see which side is ready to fulfil them. “The BJP has committed 42 seats to us, it could be in Bihar or outside. And as far as Mahagathbandhan is concerned, we can’t join them if RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav is projected as the face of the alliance,” the leader added.