LJP chief Paswan rules out supporting BJP

Amidst reports of NDA trying to reach out to LJP, party chief Ram Vilas Paswan today said he will not allow "lotus to bloom" at the Centre at any cost.

Ruling out any possibility of supporting a government led by BJP, Paswan told PTI: "We will not support BJP at any cost to form a government and will make all efforts to ensure that a secular government is formed." Meanwhile, JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav and RLD president Ajit Singh today called up Paswan. They as well as BJP Rajya Sabha member Najma Heptullah had also called up Paswan two days back when a fire had broken out in his residence.

LJP secretary general Abdul Khaliq dismissed any possibility of his party switching over to NDA and downplayed the issue of NDA leaders calling up Paswan.

"They called up to inquire about the fire incident. No politics should be read into it," he said.

Also, Paswan said that not only LJP, but even SP and RJD would jointly chalk out plans on forming a secular government.

To a question if he was still in UPA, Paswan said: "I am in UPA and also a Minister in the government." Asked if he would remain in UPA, he said there were two possibilities that could emerge.

"If UPA can get majority there will be no problem. The other scenario is the UPA does not get majority. In that situation, we three parties in the Fourth Front would jointly take a decision on the methodology of forming a secular government."

Paswan affirms support to Cong-led govt

Two days before the final counting, the Congress Core Committee is expected to meet later today at the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi's residence 10 Janpath, to discuss possible alliances for the formation of the government at the Centre.

This meeting comes against the backdrop of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) supremo Ram Vilas Paswan reaffirming his support for the UPA. This blow to the Fourth Front came after a series of phone calls were exchanged between Sonia Gandhi and Paswan yesterday.

Sources say that the LJP chief has assured Sonia Gandhi of his support and has fixed a meeting after May 16.

Last night, senior Congress leaders including Pranab Mukherjee, Ahmed Patel, AK Antony, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Kapil Sibal met at the Prime Minister's residence. The meeting chaired by Sonia Gandhi engaged in the strategy for post-poll scenario and getting more political allies for forming the next government.

LJP, RJD, SP will remain together, says Paswan

Rubbishing reports of disunity in the ‘Fourth Front’, LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan on Tuesday asserted that his party, RJD and SP would remain together and strive to form a secular government at the Centre.

“LJP and RJD are part of the UPA and Samajwadi Party is supporting the coalition. We will remain united and work for installation of a secular government at the Centre,” Paswan told reporters in New Delhi.

Asked why he skipped the front’s rally at Rampur on Monday, Paswan said though SP leader Amar Singh had invited him for the rally, he could not attend because of prior engagements.

“Amar Singh called me telling about a rally in Rampur and requested me to come if possible. I told him that I have prior engagements,” he said.

Paswan described as non-issue his absence, reports of which triggered speculation that the Fourth Front was disintegrating.

The LJP leader said, “We — me, RJD and Mualayam Singh — will stay together. Without Mulayam Singh’s support, how can a government be formed at the Centre.”

We will remain with UPA: Paswan

LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan on Saturday insisted that he would remain with the UPA and would discuss post-poll alliance if Congress president Sonia Gandhi extends an invitation.

"We have been saying from the beginning that we are in UPA and we will remain in UPA," Paswan told reporters here, a day after skipping the Union Cabinet meeting apparently because of his unhappiness with Congress for trying to reach out to JD(U).

The Union Minister for Steel and Chemicals said his party did not have pre-poll alliance with Congress this time as it "was not possible".

"There will be post-poll alliance... The only difference is that we had an alliance between Mulayam ji, Lalu ji and I. That is meant to stop BJP in Uttar Pradesh and NDA in Bihar. Let the results come. We will stop them," he said.

Asked when he would have talks with the Congress on post-poll alliance, Paswan said "We will sit with the Congress if we are invited. When UPA Chairperson invites us, then the question (of sitting with them) arises."

RJD, LJP will always remain with UPA: Paswan

The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) was with the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and would remain with it, union minister Ram Vilas Paswan said Friday while clarifying that he was staying away from the cabinet meeting in New Delhi because of a previous commitment here.

"I have not skipped the cabinet meeting. I am not able to attend as a previous meeting was fixed in Kolkata," Paswan said, responding to speculation that he was skipping the cabinet meeting called by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh because he was miffed with Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi's praise of Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

There are elections in Kolkata and Himachal Pradesh, the steel minister said.

"Morever, there was no agenda of my ministry (in the cabinet meeting)," he added.

"The Congress has already clarified what Rahulji wants to say. I am with the UPA. LJP, RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal of Lalu Prasad) is with the UPA. And we will remain with UPA," Paswan asserted.

The reality, he said, was that Nitish Kumar was with the Bharatiya Janata Party-Led National Democratic Alliance Relations between the Congress and the RJD as well as the LJP have been strained to breaking point over seat sharing in Bihar. Rahul Gandhi's comments about Nitish Kumar just added to the tensions.

United We Stand

LJP, RJD, SP to adopt united stand on formation of secular govt

LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan and RJD president Lalu Prasad today said they would put their common views along with Samajwadi Party (SP) president Mulayam Singh Yadav on formation of secular government at the Centre after the Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing a joint press conference here, Mr Paswan and Mr Prasad said they would have vital role in the formation of a secular government at the Centre and the RJD-LJP-SP configuration would put their views unitedly in this regard.

'''Several secular political parties are contesting the Lok Sabha elections separately but they would come on the same platform for the formation of a secular government after the elections,'' both the leaders claimed.

Mr Paswan and Mr Prasad said the doors would remain open for accommodating the Left parties during the formation of the government at the Centre.

When asked about the reservation of the Congress on the role of Left parties in government formation, both the leaders said the Left should join the government but hastened to add that it was for the Left parties to decide on the issue. Mr Paswan said neither he nor Mr Prasad ever alleged that Congress was responsible for the demolition of Babri Masjid but the historical fact could not be denied that Congress government headed by the Prime Minister Narsimha Rao was at the helm of affairs when the incident took place in December 1992.

Both the leaders claimed that their parties would perform better in the Lok Sabha elections in Bihar and alleged that NDA was engaged in booth capturing and other nefarious designs to influence the polling in connivance with the concerned officials of the state government.