AAP to pit cobbler or rickshaw puller against Ram Vilas Paswan

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will field a cobbler or rickshaw puller against Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader Ram Vilas Paswan in the Lok Sabha election, a party leader said Sunday.

"The AAP has decided to field a 'common man' against Paswan. The candidate may be a hard-working cobbler or rickshaw puller," AAP convenor Somnath Tripathy said.

He said the party will target Paswan as both Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad will not be in the fray - for different reasons.

"We are sure Paswan will contest again from Hajipur or any other reserved constituency. The AAP will contest against him."

In the last Lok Sabha polls, Paswan was defeated by Janata Dal-United's Ram Sundar Das, a former Bihar chief minister.

Tripathy said the AAP will also field "strong candidates" against BJP leaders in the state including former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi and Syed Shahnawaz Hussain.