NOW, PASWAN’S LJP CAUTIONS KUSHWAHA

PATNA: The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) on Monday advised Union minister and Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha to exercise restraint with reference to his criticism of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. The advice came a day after Kushwaha met LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan to apprise him of Kumar’s alleged “utterances against him” in violation of the alliance dharma.

Kushwaha had been banking on the LJP’S support in his tussle with Kumar’s Janata Dal United over seat sharing arrangement for the next year’s Lok Sabha polls. RLSP, LJP, and JDU are part of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance in Bihar

The LJP also expressed its “strong displeasure” over Kushwaha’s meeting with Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav in New Delhi on Monday. “It is not good to meet an opposition leader while being a part of the ruling NDA. He (Kushwaha) has been meeting opposition leaders,” said LJP parliamentary party leader Chirag Paswan, who met chief Nitish Kumar and JD(U) vice president Prashant Kishor on Monday.

“It was a normal meeting to extend Chhath. Yes, we also discussed seat-sharing and other NDA issues,” Chirag Paswan said. “If there is an issue, the NDA leaders should sit together and resolve it. I expect the same from Kushwaha,” he said.

LJP has been maintaining it will contest no less than seven Lok Sabha seats. JD(U) had last week cautioned Kushwaha against criticizing the CM.