NEW DELHI, 17 April 2005 — “I am the steel minister and my MLAs are also made of steel,” the Lok Janshakti Party president and union minister, Ram Vilas Paswan had said recently when asked about a possible revolt within the party.
As the stalemate in Bihar continues, the LJP MLAs are getting restive and showing that they are not made of steel. Many of them are now looking either toward Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD or Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (U) for a possible direction.
Sharp differences seem to have appeared in the 29-member LJP, which holds the key to government formation in Bihar, with few party MLAs suggesting to Paswan that he should either cobble together a majority to become chief minister or support a Rabri Devi-led UPA government to end the impasse.
“After all, there are limits to one’s patience. How long will the newly-elected MLAs wait. Either Paswan should cobble together a majority with like-minded parties and become chief minister or extend support to a Rabri Devi-led UPA government in Bihar,” LJP MLA Ajay Kumar Bulganin said yesterday.
A senior LJP leader on condition of anonymity confirmed that Bulganin and a few other party MLAs met RJD chief Lalu Prasad at his Patna residence on Thursday night to discuss strategies for government formation.
These MLAs also held a closed-door meeting at the residence of another party MLA Punam Yadav Friday night over the issue of government formation but Bulganin refused to divulge what transpired at the meeting. He claimed 17 party legislators shared his views and they too met.
“When RJD and LJP are among the 13 partners of the UPA government at the Center, why cannot it be done in Bihar? After all, the people have voted for installation of a government and not for imposition of president’s rule,” the LJP deputy said.
Making a strong case for LJP and RJD to come together to form a government, he said installation of a secular government in Bihar was not possible by leaving out RJD supremo Lalu Prasad.
Asked if he would quit the party in the event of Paswan not heeding his appeal, Bulganin replied in the negative but said he and other MLAs would ‘exert’ pressure on him (Paswan).
The exercise comes close on the heels of RJD chief Lalu Prasad charging the BJP with trying to bribe the independents and MLAs of smaller parties to cobble together a majority to form a non-RJD government.
“The communal BJP is trying to buy the support of the MLAs. A whopping 25 crore rupees has been sent to Patna from Delhi which is being used to lure the independents and MLAs of smaller parties into backing the NDA to form a government,” he said while addressing party workers and leaders at a meeting to review the post-Assembly poll scenario.
He, however, said that BJP’s “sinister designs” would never succeed and claimed that a government led by his wife and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi would be in place in a month-and-a-half.
