To seek clarity on the pre-poll alliance in Bihar, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) president Ram Vilas Paswan met Congress president Sonia Gandhi here on Wednesday.
The meeting comes in the wake of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad’s discussions with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi two days ago.
“There is a need to bring clarity over the issue of alliance in Bihar,” Mr. Paswan said after the meeting with Ms. Gandhi.
The party’s national secretary, Abdul Khalik, told The Hindu that the LJP is willing to back a “secular alliance” in Bihar.
“Our party chief told Ms. Gandhi when he met her two weeks ago, that he will go along with the Congress, and whosoever [the RJD or the Janata Dal-United] the party decides to form an alliance with in the State. Our position remains unchanged.”
The party, which was being wooed also by the Janata Dal-United, had declared publicly that it was willing to go with Nitish Kumar if the Congress chose to ally with it.
However, after Mr. Prasad’s two meetings with Mr. Gandhi, it appears that the Congress is looking at a pre-poll alliance with the RJD.
