India
Says Centre is doing a lot of work for them, but viewpoint needs to change
Updated : Mar 19, 2018, 07:12 AM IST
NDA's "ally-trouble" seems to be far from over with the latest in the string being Union Minister and Lok Janashakti Party (LJP) President Ram Vilas Paswan's "advise" to the saffron outfit to "win over the confidence of all sections of the society and change their perception towards minorities".
Paswan was addressing reporters here on his first visit to the state following the announcement of the bypoll results last week. "The BJP needs to change the party's perception towards minorities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government at the Centre has done a lot of work for them, but the viewpoint needs to be changed," said Paswan, while listing some of the developmental schemes run by the NDA government for minorities.
The minister attributed RJD's win in Araria Lok Sabha and Jehanabad Vidhan Sabha seats to the sympathy votes in favour of the late legislators. "But the defeats in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur and Phulpur parliamentary constituencies need some serious thought. It is a cause of concern for the BJP as well as the NDA," he said and ruled out chances of his party exiting the NDA.
Earlier, on Saturday too, Paswan had cited the example of the Congress Party "which ruled the country for decades by taking all sections of the society together." He had advised senior partner BJP to understand and follow the 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' slogan in letter and spirit.
However, the LJP's tune could spell some serious trouble for the NDA in Bihar, especially after ally and former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi of Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular switching over to the Grand Alliance and Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha of RLSP sharing the dais with RJD leaders in earlier this year.