LJP hits back at JD(U), says differences existed over NDA policies

A day after JD-U leader KC Tyagi said that his party never formed an alliance with the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) in Bihar and that BJP has made it clear that the assembly polls will be fought under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, LJP spokesperson Ashraf Ansari said that his party had disagreed with many of the Nitish government's policies and had even openly opposed them.

New Delhi: Reacting to JD-U leader KC Tyagi's comment that his party had never formed an alliance with the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) in Bihar, the LJP on Tuesday said that it welcomes the comments, as it has on several occasions opposed the Nitish Kumar government's policies.

"JD-U has never formed an alliance with LJP in Bihar. JD-U's alliance is with the BJP. From 1998 till now, there was never an alliance of JD-U with the LJP," Tyagi had said yesterday, adding that the BJP has made it clear that the assembly polls will be fought under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, LJP spokesman Ashraf Ansari said that his party welcomed Tyagi's statement.

"It is a good thing. We welcome his (Tyagi's) statement. Since 2005, we have not agreed to all their policies. From time to time, we have even opposed them," he said.

Ansari went on to claim that LJP President Chirag Paswan had supported Nitish Kumar as he had the "blessings" of the Prime Minister.

"In 2017, such a situation had arisen that Nitish Kumar had to take the blessings of PM Modi. Chirag Paswan had even said multiple times that we (LJP) are with the person who has the Prime Minister's blessings," Ansari said.

On being asked whether the party had made up its mind to quit the ruling Bihar NDA alliance, Ansari said that it was only the JD-U which was making such statements.

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"No, we have not made up out mind (to quit NDA). It is their (JDU's) statement, we welcome it," Ansari said.

Earlier yesterday, the LJP had held a meeting of its Bihar parliamentary board at the residence of its chief Chirag Paswan. In the meeting, it was decided that a list of 143 candidates has to be sent to the parliamentary board soon.

"We have made preparations for 143 seats. At the meeting yesterday, all members requested the party president that we must contest on 143 seats. However, the final decision rests with the president, and we will support whatever call he takes," Ansari said.

On Tyagi questioning the LJP for making statements against the ruling NDA, Ansari said, "They call Chirag Paswan all sorts of names, and if our party talks about Bihar's development, we are called rebels."

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