Threatened with a split in his party, Lok Janashakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan on Sunday appeared to soften his stand towards arch political foe RJD and discussed with senior Congress leader Harikesh Bahadur government formation in Bihar.
Paswan paraded 10 of his 29 MLAs before the media in New Delhi and claimed the support of four more, even as yet another party legislator reached Jamshedpur to join other rebellious MLAs who favour supporting a JD (U)-led government headed by Nitish Kumar in the state under President's Rule.
The rebels, on the other hand, claimed to have 15 MLAs on their side, five short of the requisite number to effect a split without attracting anti-defection law.
Paswan and RJD chief Lalu Prasad separately met Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who has sought a report from Bihar Governor Buta Singh on the developments in the state.
Paswan also held an hour-long meeting with Congress general secretary in charge of Bihar, Harikesh Bahadur, who is understood to have put forward a proposal on ending the political deadlock in Bihar, which has made LJP MLAs increasingly restive.
According to sources, Paswan is understood to be veering round to the idea of an RJD-led government headed by someone outside Lalu Prasad-Rabri Devi family who is also a Muslim.
{{/usCountry}}According to sources, Paswan is understood to be veering round to the idea of an RJD-led government headed by someone outside Lalu Prasad-Rabri Devi family who is also a Muslim.
{{/usCountry}}After the meeting, Paswan told reporters, "I have no objection if RJD gives inside or outside support to a non-NDA government as long as it is headed by a Muslim."
For his part, Bahadur said Congress, which has already extended support to a RJD-led government, was "considering all suggestions for government formation. We want an UPA government and Congress will accept whatever the alliance decides on it."
He said a decision on this issue was expected soon. In the 243-member Bihar Assembly, RJD has 75 MLAs, LJP 29, Congress 10, NCP and BSP 3 each and CPI (M) 1, CPI (ML) 7, CPI 3 and SP 4.
At the other end of the spectrum, JD (U) has 57 MLAs and BJP 37 and all the 17 independent MLAs have supported NDA.
Notwithstanding Paswan's meeting with Bahadur, President of the dissolved unit of LJP Narendra Singh said in Patna that LJP MLAs favoured formation of a non-RJD government in Bihar.
He, however, said due to the "stubborn" attitude of Paswan, the elected LJP MLAs were in a rebellious mood as they felt that formation of a RJD government was in the offing and they were left with no choice but to support Nitish's efforts for government formation in Bihar.
Meanwhile, one more LJP MLA Munna Shukla reached Ranchi on his way to swell the ranks of rebel party legislators holed up in Ghatsila near Jamshedpur in Jharkhand.
Shukla, who was accompanied by an Independent legislator Jagdish Sharma and JD-U MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh Lallan, said in Patna that LJP MLAs were committed to forming a Government led by Nitish Kumar.
In Patna, RJD urged the Bihar Governor not to entertain any claim of NDA to form Government in Bihar on the basis of "horse-trading" and asked him to invite Rabri Devi, leader of RJD that has emerged as the single largest party without any delay to form a new ministry.
Charging the NDA with "trampling" democracy by indulging in horse-trading of MLAs, the RJD leaders demanded the Governor keep an eye over the "use of money power by the NDA to muster support for formation of Government".