Nitish dilutes his stand on alliance with LJP

DARBHANGA: Diluting his stance on forging a broad opposition alliance among anti-RJD outfits to take on the ruling Lalu-Rabri regime during the forthcoming assembly elections in Bihar, senior JD (U) leader Nitish Kumar on Wednesday said he is not confident but optimistic that Ram Vilas Paswan would join the alliance as people want a regime change in the state.
Talking to reporters at the residence of party''s state unit vice-president Umakant Chaudhary here early on Wednesday, the senior JD (U) leader evaded a direct reply when asked about his new found optimism on Paswan joining hands with him after the latter had asked JD (U) to severe its ties with the BJP.
People ascribing to different ideologies extend support to each other when political expediency calls for such measures, asserted the JD (U) leader. He said he would even consider the unity call made to JD (U) by CPI (ML) general secretary, Dipankar Bhattacharya, during ML''s rally held on Tuesday evening in Patna.
"We would listen to their views and also communicate our feeling," he quipped. "We have been making endeavours to mobilise public support for the formulation of a larger coalition to oust the RJD regime that had pushed the state at the nadir of development," Nitish said.
He clarified that during the last parliamentary polls NDA managed to bag 37 per cent of votes while five party conglomerates consisting of RJD, Congress, LJP, NCP and CPM obtained 44 per cent of the total votes. However, with Paswan jumping out of Lalu''s bandwagon the balance has now tilted in favour of a unified opposition in Bihar.
Kumar also made scathing attack on railway minister Lalu Prasad for his allegation made against his cabinet colleague Paswan. "Lalu has made himself a laughing stock by making funny statements in public," Nitish said. The JD (U) leader also advised the Union ministers from making political statements at official functions of the government.
The Prime Minister should try to put a check on such practices. It is an open violation of the conduct a minister is supposed to conform to. Election Commission should also take cognizance of the matter, he said.