‘No Third Front Govt possible without Congress’

“A Third Front government without the Congress’ support is impossible”, Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) President Ram Vilas Paswan said in an interview to Hindustan Times on Tuesday.

“A Third Front government without the Congress’ support is impossible”, Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) President Ram Vilas Paswan said in an interview to HT on Tuesday.

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Expressing his willingness to take up the job of Prime Minister if offered a reasonable chance, he said that leaders of any of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) party leaders could take a shot for the top slot in the event of the Congress party returning to the Lok Sabha with reduced numbers.

“If the Congress strength in the next Lok Sabha exceeds 130-135, Manmohan Singh will become PM in all probability. If that party’s strength is reduced to a number less than 120, a leader of the any of the UPA allies can stake his claim for the top job”, Paswan said.

He has been part of several coalition governments since the VP Singh government of 1989, but Paswan ruled out the possibility of returning to the NDA in the event of the BJP making a comeback as single largest party. “The biggest blunder of my life was to have joined the NDA government and this is certain that I will never repeat the mistake.”

Stating that expectations of a Dalit Prime Minister being elected had increased after Barack Obama’s victory, Paswan dismissed possibilities of the elevation of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati to the post.