LS polls: LJP to fight alone on 16 seats in Bihar

Source : www.samaylive.com

New Delhi, Jan 31: Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP today struck a discordant note with other UPA allies by unilaterally announcing its decision to contest over one-third of the total seats in Bihar in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

"If an alliance takes place, we will contest 16 of the total 40 seats. Otherwise we will contest alone in all the seats there," LJP chief and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said here.

Asked to clarify whether LJP would climb down from its demand of 16 seats in future, Paswan categorically said, "Where is the question of bringing down the demand for seats, when we have already announced the decision to contest 16 seats." In what could be a clear indication of the growing rift between the LJP and RJD over seat-sharing, Paswan quipped, "Hearts should meet before the parties meet." Asked about his talks with Congress and RJD over the matter, Paswan said, "We have been talking to Congress. There is no distance between LJP and Congress. I have talked to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and her political adviser Ahmed Patel one or two times." If some alliance happens with Congress, we can fight the election in alliance with it or may go even alone," he said.

Paswan added that he himself has not discussed the alliance issue with RJD chief Lalu Prasad but his party's state president held discussions with Prasad and apprised him of the LJP's stand on the matter.

Congress, RJD and LJP had contested the last Lok Sabha election in Bihar under the joint banner of UPA. RJD had contested on 26 seats and won 22, Congress 4 and won 3 and LJP had contested 8 seats, winning half of them.