Equations still blurred in Bihar

His rival, LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan, did his bit to deepen this chasm between the national allies further by offering the Congress an upper hand in a potential alliance with him. ‘‘I have no claims to the post of Bihar Chief Minister. We welcome the Congress and the JD(U) to come in an alliance with us,’’ he said in Patna.

The Congress, which is in demand in the state after a very long time, is not willing to show its cards just yet. Party leaders are talking to Laloo, Nitish Kumar and Paswan at the same time — leaving the RJD chief to count his fingers. Whereas the official seat arrangements with the RJD is being managed by Union minister Arjun Singh, Ahmad Patel is in touch with Paswan and Nitish, party sources said.

By finetuning the seat adjustments with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, without taking Laloo into confidence, the Congress has snubbed him. And Laloo, though he sounded defiant, is not in a very comfortable position to confront the Congress in Bihar. At the centre of his trouble is the Muslim goodwill for the Congress and its chief Sonia Gandhi. Whether the Congress will use this card to extract a better deal from the RJD, or chart its own course, is the riddle of the week.

The Congress state president, Ram Jatan Sinha, is jubilant over the prospect of parting ways with the RJD, but is quick to add that everything depends on the high command.

The JD(U), too, is treading cautiously. Though the BJP has declared the JD(U) as an ally, leader Nitish Kumar has not committed yet. All that he has said so far is that his party will have an independent manifesto and will work towards forming a front capable of defeating the RJD. ‘‘If we become successful in dislodging the RJD, I will have no claim over the chief ministership,’’ he said.

Sources say, he is in constant touch with Paswan and the Congress high command. ‘‘Nitishji will take the decision for the party,’’ said Sharad Yadav.

Marandi’s name not in list

New Delhi: Former Jharkhand CM Babulal Marandi’s name was not in the first list of party candidates for Assembly elections released by the BJP, which has given 15 seats to key ally JD(U) and one to All Jharkhand Students’ Union. The three-hour meeting of the BJP’s central election committee on Saturday was presided over by former A.B. Vajpayee and L.K. Advani.-ENS