Patna: Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on Sunday declared that they wanted to strengthen the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance ahead on the 2019 Lok Sabha elections after meeting for the fifth time in a month.
When asked about the hour-long meeting with Kumar, the Lok Jan Shakti Party (LJP) leader said, "I came here to formally invite him for the Ambedkar Jayanti program. We both discussed how to strengthen NDA and, I can say on behalf of Nitishji as well, he too wanted to further strengthen the alliance."
On the prospects of his party in the next Lok Sabha elections the LJP leader said, "I will definitely contest from Hajipur seat and my son Chirag will re contest from Jamui seat. Details about others would be discussed in NDA meetings."
Announcing constituencies for his party assumes significance as BJP has maintained that seat sharing would be finalised in a later stage. This is also important to note that Kumar was not the part of NDA in 2014 general elections and his re-entry will change the seat sharing formula. Out of 40 LS seats in Bihar, BJP had won 21, LJP six and RLSP bagged four seats.
Paswan also defended the NDA government's criticism by opposition over SC/ST Act and accused them of spreading lies and rumours for taking political mileage. He also took a swipe at BJP MP Udit Raj for expressing concerns on atrocities against Dalits and asked what he was doing in the last four years. "Why such a drama just in election year. No government has done as much as what Narendra Modi government did for Dalits," He said.
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