Ram Vilas Paswan for early decision on seat sharing in Bihar

Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, whose party LJP is an ally of the NDA at the Centre and the state, on Tuesday favoured early decision on seat sharing with BJP and other partners for next year's assembly polls in Bihar. 

"It helps all parties to prepare well for the polls if the seat sharing formula is worked out early," he said in reply questions by scribes seeking his reaction to the break up of the long-standing alliance between BJP and Shiv Sena ahead of the Maharashtra assembly polls.

Paswan's younger brother and the state unit LJP chief Pashupati Kumar Paras had recently urged BJP to work out seat sharing arrangements with allies in Bihar to thwart a repeat of what happened in Maharashtra.

The union minister hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for launching a programme for cleanliness and said the 'Swacch Bharat Abhiyan' would be launched on Gandhi Jayanti.

Paswan heaped praise on Modi for enhancing the country's prestige in the global sphere within months of taking charge and said his visit to the United States has got wide publicity and attention.

Earlier, Chinese President Xi Jinping had visited India to strengthen bilateral relations between the two neighbouring countries and Modi had visited Japan, Bhutan and Nepal to take bilateral relations with these countries to new heights, he added.