Cong, RJD cold to LJP’s Bihar formula

With his flock getting restive to break ranks and put together a government in Bihar in league with the NDA, Steel Minister and Lok Janshakt...

With his flock getting restive to break ranks and put together a government in Bihar in league with the NDA, Steel Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader Ram Vilas Paswan on Thursday threw a fresh bait to woo both the Congress and the RJD. His formula: a secular government with a Muslim Chief Minister from the Congress, to be backed by the LJP and the RJD.

Paswan paraded 29 MLAs at his residence and later met Congress president Sonia Gandhi to make the offer. But, even before he could meet Sonia, Congress general secretary Ambika Soni dismissed the move.

Citing the low presence of Congress — of just 10 MLAs — in the 243-member assembly, Soni said, ‘‘We have given in writing our support to the RJD in government formation.’’ Virtually seeking to be excused, she said, ‘‘We cannot play any role.’’

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Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma was more cold. ‘‘There is nothing new in Paswanji’s proposal.’’ He practically ruled out any change in the Congress decision to support the RJD. ‘‘The Congress had taken the decision to support the RJD considering all aspects.’’

Sources said the Congress rejected Paswan’s proposal with an unusual speed to ensure that no further damage was caused to its relations with RJD chief and Railways Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav. Their relationship is already under a strain due to a variety of reasons, the latest being its head-on confrontation with him over his campaign against Election Commissioners B B Tandon and N Gopalasami.

Despite his strategic worth as a Dalit face, Paswan is numerically of far less value (due to four Lok Sabha members) than Laloo, whose RJD has 25 members in the House.

Paswan’s whole gameplan was given away by former Union minister of state Nagmani, who told reporters: ‘‘We can do anything. I mean anything — to form a government in Bihar.’’ However, Paswan thundered at a press conference: ‘‘My whole party is intact. Those who say that it is breaking are spreading a canard. I am firm on my stand that the next chief minister of Bihar will be a Muslim.’’

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Paswan asked the Congress to put forward a Muslim for the top job and then, ‘‘We are ready to review our other conditions.’’ The RJD, too, as expected, dismissed the proposal. Party spokesman Shivanand Tewari said Paswan is desperate to contain his MLAs. The RJD leadership is keen on fresh elections, hoping it would romp home the next time. RJD leader and Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said, ‘‘There would be fresh polls.’’