New Delhi: Overcoming last-minute hiccups, Lalu Prasad-led RJD and Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP on Monday clinched an alliance for coming assembly elections in Bihar in which they will get 168 and 75 seats respectively.
Lalu Prasad will be chief ministerial candidate of the alliance while LJP Bihar unit chief Pashupati Kumar Paras, younger brother of Paswan, will be the deputy chief minister aspirant.
Uncertainties had gripped the tie-up in the last three-four days, triggering speculation that LJP would join hands with Congress in case the alliance with RJD broke down.
"Our alliance (with RJD) is rock solid and unbreakable. There is no truth in reports that I had talks with Congress or that I would become a minister at the Centre," Paswan said at a joint press conference with Prasad in New Delhi.
"RJD will contest on 168 seats and LJP would be fielding candidates in 75 seats. Lalu Prasad will be the leader of our alliance for the election. He will be projected as chief ministerial candidate while Pashupati Kumar Paras will the nominee for deputy chief minister," Paswan said.
The LJP chief said he would focus on national politics.
Prasad said the two parties had joined hands after much consideration and added "the alliance between the two parties will continue even in future."
Prasad, whose party's 15-year rule in Bihar from 1990 to 2005 had been criticised for alleged rise in crimes among other things, sought to assure the people that "RJD today is not the same RJD".
"RJD has changed a lot. There were a few people during our rule who brought a bad name for us. If our government comes to power, such elements will not be tolerated."
Prasad's controversial brother-in-law Anirudh Prasad Yadav alias Sadhu Yadav had broken off from RJD and joined Congress during last Lok Sabha elections.
Witout naming him, Prasad said "all such elements have now gathered in the Congress."
Referring to reports of Paswan coming closer to Congress, he reminded that Congress refused to support Paswan for his Rajya Sabha bid from Bihar a few months ago.
"I had approached Congress for support when he (Paswan) was fighting the Rajya Sabha election, they (Congress) clearly said no," Prasad said.
Prasad said he had then decided that he would sacrifice his own party candidate to ensure Paswan's election and "finally both won."
Prasad, who was chief minister from 1990 to 1997 before his wife Rabri Devi occupied the post from 1997 to 2005, said if the alliance comes to power, he will make a turn around of Bihar story "in the same way as I raised the reputation Railways in the world during my tenure (as Railway Minister)".
Prasad threatened to expel any leader who "opposes the alliance candidates" and announced the formation of a screening committee for the purpose.
The firming up of the alliance comes in the backdrop of reports that both parties were on the way to contest separately due to pressure from party candidates who had wanted to contest in the stronghold of each other.
With the announcement of the alliance, some party leaders say that rebels from both parties could contest in the stronghold of the other and mar the chances of each party.
Both parties will have a common manifesto and campaign jointly during the elections. They had fought the last assembly election in the state in 2005 separately but come together for the 2009 Lok Sabha poll.
While Paswan's party had fought alone in 203 seats in 2005 assembly elections, RJD in alliance with Congress and Left had contested on 177 seats, leaving 56 for its allies.
Virtually announcing that the party's understanding with his erstwhile ally Congress has broken down, Prasad criticised the party saying "both Congress and BJP are one".
Reaching out to Muslims, who constitute a sizeable population in the state, both the leaders made a strong demand for implmenting Ranganath Mishra Commission report and accused the Centre of "sitting over"" the recommendation.
"Congress is not implementing Ranganath Mishra Commission report, that recommends reservation for Muslims, due to BJP's fear...We will implement it if we come to power," Prasad said.
He said it was during his rule that a Minority Affairs ministry was constituted in Bihar for the first time and Muslims' representation in government jobs rose to 8 per cent.
Sharing the dais with JD-U rebel and an upper caste leader from Rajput caste Prabhunath Singh, Prasad, who had in past invited the wrath of upper caste voters, said the alliance will represent all sections.
Attacking Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Prasad said the former had remained with him for seven and half years out of 15 years of RJD rule and alleged "koi aisa saga nahin, jisko nitish ne thaga nahin (there is no friend whom Nitish Kumar has not cheated)".
The RJD chief also said that those making Nitish Kumar "Yugpurush" should remember what had happened to Lalu Prasad soon after he was compared with Lord Krishna.
Asked whether he would contest Assembly election since he has been declared a chief ministerial candidate of the alliance, he said "all constituencies belong to me and I can contest from anywhere".
To a question on whether Rabri Devi will contest the election, he said "we will live like husband and wife".
Paswan alleged crime in Bihar has gone up and there is loot in the name of development. He demanded a CBI probe into the allegations of financial irregularties pointed out by CAG report.
He said RJD-LJP alliance will expose "RSS-BJP Game" and charged the "state government is sitting in RSS lap".
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