Despite the ruling NDA’s claim of “all is well”, its recalcitrant constituent Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) Saturday kept the suspense, praising PM Narendra Modi and dropping hints about contesting 143 seats in the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar, while putting on hold a key party meeting meant to decide the way forward.
It could be held on Sunday afternoon in the light of new developments including “some seat-sharing agreement between the BJP and the JD-U,” according to party leaders, who didn’t wish to be named.
The meeting of the LJP parliamentary board, scheduled for Saturday evening, was deferred, citing health of union minister Ram Vilas Paswan, who has been ill for quite some time and is in hospital. LJP president and also his son, Chirag Paswan, tweeted that his father had to undergo a heart operation late on Saturday night.
Earlier on Saturday, Chirag tweeted praise on Modi and also talked about his ‘Bihar first, Bihari first’ vision document 2020, formulated with the aim to restore Bihar’s glory.
“I feel proud to have got an opportunity to work as an MP with the PM, who is known across the world for his able leadership. PM has kept India’s flag aloft in the world and took several steps to improve the living standard of common people,” read the tweet.
Chirag also sought blessings from all to work for “restoring” Bihar’s pride so that all the LJP candidates could strengthen the hands of the PM.
LJP spokesman Vikas Mishra said the party chief had asked all leaders and workers to prepare to contest on 143 seats.
“Chirag Paswan has been authorized to take a final decision on seat-sharing. We are with whatever he decides. The parliamentary board meeting can be held even at a short notice,” he said. Over the last few days, Paswan has met BJP president JP Nadda and home minister Amit Shah, but the deadlock has persisted.
According to LJP sources, it is not known when the meeting would be held next.
Some LJP leaders said on condition of anonymity that the party would not bow to any pressure. The party was, however, solidly behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP, they said.
The seat-sharing stalemate in NDA chiefly revolves over the choice of seats.The seat-sharing stalemate in NDA chiefly revolves over the choice of seats. If the BJP and the JD-U decide to contest equal number of seats–as some alliance leaders have indicated—and accommodate LJP and HAM-S in their respective quotas, it could further complicate matters for LJP since the BJP does not want to contest less than 100 seats.
