Cong should unite with RJD-LJP to defeat BJP, JD-U: Paswan

Lok Janskati Party president Ramvilas Paswan on Friday said he fails to understand why Congress is "dithering" to join the Rashtriya Janata Dal-LJP alliance which is intact in spite of sentencing of Lalu Prasad.

"We (RJD-LJP) have been saying that we the secular parties should come together to beat Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal-United in Bihar... But I do not know why Congress is dithering," Paswan told reporters in Patna.

Asked if Congress' tilt towards JD-U of Nitish Kumar could be the reason, Paswan said, "Only they (Congress) can answer this."

Paswan said he had no meeting with UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi in the one last month. "Every party is busy in the assembly polls hence there is no chance of any further talk on the issue till it is over," he said.

He categorically ruled out any tie-up with ruling JD-U. "We are strongly with RJD in Bihar. So where is the question of tie-up with JD-U in 2014 polls ?" he said and also dismissed becoming part of any Third Front.

Asked to comment on reported statement by Rabri Devi, who is guiding RJD in the absence of Lalu Prasad, that her party would review its alliance with LJP or its senior leader Raghubansh Prasad Singh and that it would contest all 40 seats in Bihar, Paswan said "I do not know who is why and what. But one thing is for sure that RJD and LJP alliance is intact."

Attacking Nitish Kumar and BJP, Paswan said in the daily spat between the two former NDA allies the development issue, which used to be the Bihar chief minister's pet subject has taken a back seat.

"Both Nitish Kumar and BJP are diverting people’s attention from development to communal agenda through the daily spat."

Paswan said LJP was organising rallies and grassroot level meetings in different parts of Bihar to maximise its support.