Paswan floats new formula, RJD dismissive, Congress cold

New Delhi: In a bid to break the deadlock in Bihar, LJP President Ram Vilas Paswan on Thursday shed some of his aversion to Lalu Prasad and favoured a Congress-led government with a Muslim Chief Minister but the RJD rejected it outright while Congress cold shouldered it.

Amidst reports that his MLAs were getting restive over the continuing impasse in government formation, Paswan, whose 29 MLAs hold the key to the new government, met Congress President Sonia Gandhi along with about 20 legislators and suggested that her party should make the government with a Muslim as Chief Minister.

"If the Congress gives a Muslim candidate for the post of chief minister, we can reconsider our stand on not taking RJD support in Bihar," he told reporters. He said the Congress president told him that she would consider the proposal in consultation with party leaders.

However, party general secretary Ambika Soni said that Congress had only 10 members in the 243 member Assembly and it had no role in Paswan's scheme of things. She also said that the party had already given in writing its support to formation of RJD government.

Dismissing the formula, RJD spokesman Shivanand Tiwary said no government was possible by Paswan's proposal and it was just an attempt to keep his MLAs together.

LJP together with Congress (10), RJD (76) and Left parties (15) could be in a
position to muster majority in the House of 243 if Lalu Prasad agrees with the proposal that the Chief Minister will not be from his party.