Kingmaker to pawn: Stung, RJD & NDA blame it on Paswan, Cong

Hailed as kingmaker the day Bihar put 29 MLAs in his kitty, LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan, who refused to oblige both the NDA and RJD in gover...

Hailed as kingmaker the day Bihar put 29 MLAs in his kitty, LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan, who refused to oblige both the NDA and RJD in government formation, is now being blamed by both sides for the President’s rule in Bihar.

The NDA and RJD are interpreting the results according to convenience. While the NDA says ‘‘it’s an anti-RJD verdict,’’ the RJD claims the ‘‘verdict is for secular parties.’’ Both sides say Paswan’s refusal to support it amounts to ‘‘not honouring the verdict.’’ Moreover, both the BJP-JD(U) and RJD are united in accusing the Congress of ‘‘using Paswan’’ in a grand plan to stamp its own rule in Bihar through proxy.

Unable to sell his government formation claim to the Congress or the Governor, RJD chief Laloo Prasad shut himself up but outside his house spokesman Shivanand Tiwari went ballistic against the Congress.

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‘‘We suspect the Congress has played along with Paswan in imposing President’s rule in the state. The Congress can prove us wrong by putting pressure on Paswan to support the formation of a secular government in Bihar. Otherwise, he should be thrown out of UPA,’’ said Tiwari.

Asked if he was asking the Congress to choose between the RJD and LJP, the RJD leader, who called Paswan a ‘‘crook and a mad man,’’ said: ‘‘You are free to interpret in whichever way you want.’’

JD(U) leader Vijendra Yadav and BJP leader Sushil Modi shared the same thought, accusing Paswan and Congress of ‘‘hatching a conspiracy’’ to impose President’s rule in the state.

But the immediate problem that Paswan has to tackle is his own MLAs; most of them are upper caste, whose primary political agenda is anti-RJD. And predictably, want to be in power. The BJP did try to make them put pressure on Paswan to join the NDA. But Paswan has prevailed on them so far. The amended anti-defection law also favours Paswan. But his restive MLAs will turn troublesome if President’s rule lingers.

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Paswan could have swung either side only at a severe cost of his credibility — the more than 12 percent votes that his fledgling party won is from both categories, anti-RJD and anti-BJP.

‘‘Indeed, the votes for the LJP indicate the space for a third political formation in Bihar, other than the RJD and the NDA,’’ says a political observer.

May be in small quantities, but people across castes and religion voted for Paswan’s party—the most crucial of it all is the combined voting of upper caste and Muslims which formed the former base of the Congress. Teaming with the BJP or the RJD would have squandered what he had achieved.

Despite the flux that he has landed, Paswan is readying for a long innings and sees the Congress as his long-term ally. Even after the Congress gave the letter of support to the RJD, Paswan had no harsh words: ‘‘I understand the compulsions of the Congress.’’ ‘‘It is all rubbish,’’ said Paswan on reports that he was planning to quit the Cabinet. And a BJP national leader said: ‘‘We see no possibility of Paswan leaving the Congress to come with us.’’