Paras meets Lalu again, but keeps cards close to his chest

Patna: Former Union minister and Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) president Pashupati Kumar Paras on Sunday called on RJD chief Lalu Prasad, sparking speculations of his party getting closer to the opposition Grand Alliance ahead of the assembly elections in the state. This was their third meeting in the past one week.
Paras, accompanied by his nephew Prince, a former MP, drove to the residence of Lalu early in the morning and stayed there for about 20 minutes. Although they refused to share details of their meeting, Paras reiterated they were not a ‘gang of hermits', dropping enough hints about his future course of action.
Interacting with reporters in Vaishali as part of his workers' conference, Paras, the estranged uncle of Union minister Chirag Paswan, expressed deep annoyance over the treatment meted out to them in the NDA. "We remained with the NDA for 10 years but were shabbily treated, perhaps, because we are a party of Dalits," he told reporters, adding they were denied tickets in the last year's Lok Sabha elections despite his party having five MPs. Asked if his party would join the Grand Alliance, Paras shot back, "Raj ko raj hi rahne dijiye (Let the secret remain secret)," adding he would make any decision after holding a meeting of the party's parliamentary board and national executive in April and knowing the view of the majority.
Describing his meeting with Lalu as a "courtesy one", Prince said his family shared a deep bond with Lalu. "Right now, our alliance is with the people of Bihar," he said cryptically. Asked about the meeting, RJD's Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Yadav said Paras has a long political career and has served the public for a long time. "Any alliance that he joins will benefit," Yadav said.
Analysts said Lalu was keen to include Paras in the Grand Alliance to convey the message that the Dalit vote-bank is shifting from the NDA. "The RJD wants a split in the Dalit votes for good performance in the upcoming assembly polls. It is under a part of the strategy that Lalu is eager to get Paras to his side," a political analyst said.
Patna: Former Union minister and Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) president Pashupati Kumar Paras on Sunday called on RJD chief Lalu Prasad, sparking speculations of his party getting closer to the opposition Grand Alliance ahead of the assembly elections in the state. This was their third meeting in the past one week.
Paras, accompanied by his nephew Prince, a former MP, drove to the residence of Lalu early in the morning and stayed there for about 20 minutes. Although they refused to share details of their meeting, Paras reiterated they were not a ‘gang of hermits', dropping enough hints about his future course of action.
Interacting with reporters in Vaishali as part of his workers' conference, Paras, the estranged uncle of Union minister Chirag Paswan, expressed deep annoyance over the treatment meted out to them in the NDA. "We remained with the NDA for 10 years but were shabbily treated, perhaps, because we are a party of Dalits," he told reporters, adding they were denied tickets in the last year's Lok Sabha elections despite his party having five MPs. Asked if his party would join the Grand Alliance, Paras shot back, "Raj ko raj hi rahne dijiye (Let the secret remain secret)," adding he would make any decision after holding a meeting of the party's parliamentary board and national executive in April and knowing the view of the majority.
Describing his meeting with Lalu as a "courtesy one", Prince said his family shared a deep bond with Lalu. "Right now, our alliance is with the people of Bihar," he said cryptically. Asked about the meeting, RJD's Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Yadav said Paras has a long political career and has served the public for a long time. "Any alliance that he joins will benefit," Yadav said.
Analysts said Lalu was keen to include Paras in the Grand Alliance to convey the message that the Dalit vote-bank is shifting from the NDA. "The RJD wants a split in the Dalit votes for good performance in the upcoming assembly polls. It is under a part of the strategy that Lalu is eager to get Paras to his side," a political analyst said.