New Delhi, May 12
There were few takers in the Congress for LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan’s fresh initiative on government formation in Bihar. Mr. Paswan today suggested that he was willing to drop his earlier opposition to RJD’s support provided the Congress proposed a Muslim Chief Minister.
The proposal was shot down by AICC general secretary Ambika Soni who said as the Congress has only 10 MLAs in the Bihar assembly, it could not play a leading role in government formation. Besides, she said, the Congress had already pledged its support to the RJD and given it in writing to the Governor.
Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma was equally categorical on this issue. He said there is nothing new in Mr. Paswan’s proposal but the Congress stand remains unchanged, adding that his party had given its letter of support to the RJD soon after the Bihar assembly elections.
Earlier, Mr. Paswan had come up with this fresh formulation in an effort to break the present deadlock in Bihar. “If the Congress proposes a Muslim Chief Minister, we can reconsider our stand on taking RJD support in the formation of a government in Bihar,”
Mr Paswan told reporters here today. He later placed this proposal before Congress president Sonia Gandhi, offering her party the chance to head a secular dispensation in Bihar.
At the same time, he also reiterated his earlier stand that his party will support the Janata Dal (U) in forming a government provided it severed its ties with the BJP.
Patna (PTI):
The RJD also rejected LJP president Ram Vilas Paswan’s fresh initiative for government formation in Bihar saying such ‘outdated formulas’ were being put forth by that party only to keep its flock of its 29 MLAs together.
