New Delhi/Patna, Feb 24 (IANS) Leaders from both the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Monday refused to confirm reports of an alliance, after an LJP leader claimed a tie-up was on the cards.
A senior LJP leader close to party president Ram Vilas Paswan told IANS that the BJP was in touch with the LJP for a possible alliance.
“It may be formally announced in the next two-three days,” the LJP leader said.
Asked about the possibility of an alliance, BJP president Rajnath Singh said he did not have any information about it.
“Such discussions keep going on. I am not aware what discussions have taken place. If something happens, an announcement will be made at an appropriate time,” Rajnath Singh told reporters.
Paswan’s son Chirag Paswan said the party will decide on its future strategy after a meeting of the LJP parliamentary board.
“Both the party presidents have very good relations. Ram Vilas Pasawan and Rajnath Singh do meet each other on various public occasions, but then if you are asking me about the talk of an alliance between the two presidents, then it is a no,” Chirag Paswan told the media.
“There has been a distrust among the party leaders as there has been no clarity on the alliance. We are soon going to have the party parliamentary meet which will decide our future strategy,” he said.
The Congress, meanwhile, called the reports “purely speculative”, and said Ram Vilas Paswan was the first to quit the BJP-led alliance on the Gujarat riots issue.
“If at all there is anything that is playing out in the public space, my instant reaction would be that it is completely and purely speculative,” Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said.