Paswan prepares for poll, wins over anti-Laloo brigade

The LJP leader’s new acquisitions included Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav’s one-time friends Ranjan Yadav and Kali Pandey, both ex-MPs, former Union minister Nagmani and Bihar People’s Party chief Anand Mohan Singh. The formalities for their admission to the party completed, Paswan and his new followers joined their hands and raised them for a photo-op to demonstrate their unity for ending ‘‘anarchy and chaos in Bihar’’.

While fielding questions, Paswan declared he would not resign from the UPA Government. He did not see any contradiction in being in Laloo’s company at the Centre, while planning to oust Rabri’s government in Bihar. ‘‘We are not here with Laloo,’’ Paswan said, emphasising ‘‘our fight is in Bihar’’.

Paswan said he joined hands with the Congress-RJD combine for the larger cause of secularism. ‘‘I had declared that I would first deal with the head injury (threat of communalism) and then focus on foot injury (Laloo-Rabri misrule),’’ he said, adding that it was time to work on the latter.

Paswan dismissed suggestions that the LJP may not be able to take on the RJD single-handedly. ‘‘We’ll go it alone and contest all 324 Assembly seats in Bihar and Jharkhand.’’

When asked if he would be portrayed as the party’s chief ministerial candidate, Nagmani immediately made a ‘‘request’’ to Paswan to accept the post. ‘‘You have to become the chief minister at least once to improve Bihar’s law and order,’’ he said. Having stated this, he went on to say that ‘‘thereafter, you have to go places (aapko bahut kucch banana hai).’’ Paswan, however, said: ‘‘My aim is not the chair. It has never been my goal in life.’’