Another Setback for Paswan; Muslim Leaders Join RJD
Patna: September 1, 2005
Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) received a major setback on Wednesday as a number of his Muslim leaders quit the party only to cross over the fence in the arms of ever-willing and ever-accommodative Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) literally wiping off the dreams of the LJP leader who had held on to his demand of a Muslim Chief Minister in Bihar hoping to woo the minorities in his camp.
An embarrassed Paswan, however, explained that these leaders had earlier been expelled from the party for indulging in anti-party activities a week ago and there was no element of surprise or shock in it.
Among those who deserted Paswan to embrace RJD included party's former general secretary and spokesperson Qamar Alam, Nasim Ashraf, Maqbul Haq and Nihal Ahmed Khan. Two others who walked out of the party to join RJD were Manoj Chaudhary and Basudev Singh.
This is the second time in three months that Paswan's men have deserted him. Last May, 20 of his 29 MLAs left the party after the LJP failed to form a government in Bihar following a fractured verdict Assembly.
Welcoming the deserted in his camp, the RJD chief and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav said that Paswan was hand in glove with the NDA to ensure its victory in the forthcoming Assembly elections in Bihar. "This is a conspiracy against the RJD but Paswan and the NDA will not succeed in their evil design to mislead minorities and poor of the state," Yadav said.
"Paswan's assertion that he left the NDA because of Gujarat violence in nothing more than a hogwash. He remained in the NDA government for next three months before he finally decided to quit and that too not on Gujarat issues but because he did not get the ministry of his choice," the RJD chief.
"His insistence on having a Muslim Chief Minister in the state is also nothing more than a political gimmick to deceive the Muslims," Yadav said.
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