Sahni say all well in party, warns ‘those behind curtains’

Vikashsheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahni, a minister in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in Bihar, on Wednesday said all four MLAs of his party were with him and dismissed speculation that some of them were being wooed by a senior constituent of the NDA

Vikashsheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahni, a minister in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in Bihar, on Wednesday said all four MLAs of his party were with him and dismissed speculation that some of them were being wooed by a senior constituent of the NDA.

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“I am aware that some people are playing games from behind the curtains. I will burn down those curtains. I dare those people to come out in the open,” Sahni said, while talking to reporters outside the state Assembly.

“Some people are trying to mislead my party MLAs and split the party. But they won’t succeed. All my party MLAs are with me and they are free to put their views at the party forum,” he said.

Sahni had earlier announced his party’s plans to contest the Uttar Pradesh polls next year and field over 150 candidates.

On Sunday last, he was not allowed to go out of the airport in Varanasi to attend a programme to observe the death anniversary of bandit-turned-politician Phoolan Devi, who, like Sahni, was a Mallah, a community mainly of boatmen that has significant presence in eastern UP.

Earlier this week, the VIP chief had skipped the NDA meeting called to discuss the House strategy for the ongoing monsoon session.

NDA in Bihar has a slender majority in the 243-member Assembly and support of VIP is crucial for its survival.