No vacancy for CM's post in Bihar: Lalu

Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad Yadav on Friday said his party has "no objection" to the Congress contesting 80 seats in the coming Bihar assembly polls forcing the partners into friendly contests in many seats.
 
He, however, said the Congress and RJD fighting each other in Bihar will have no negative impact on the health of the ruling United Progressive Alliance at the Centre.

Also see: Paswan offers Bihar CM's post to Congress

"RJD will not field its candidates on the 14 seats having Congress MLAs. On rest of the seats, we have no objection in going in for friendly contests with the Congress," he told reporters in Patna.

While the Congress won 12 seats in the last assembly polls in Bihar, two independents -- Ravindra Kumar Mishra and Aditya Singh -- joined the party later.

Asked if talks with the Congress on seat sharing had ended, he replied in the negative and said RJD representatives are still in touch with the Congress leadership.

Also see: Don't display firearms during Bihar polls: HC

Lalu

evaded a direct reply to a question on how many seats the RJD would contest. All he would says was: "Adequate
number of seats will be spared for the allies in accordance with their strength."

The RJD chief said his party will have seat adjustments with the Nationalist Congress Party, the Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India-Marxist.

Taking a dig at his bete noire, Lok Janshakti Party chief and Union minister Ramvilas Paswan, Lalu said:  "He [Paswan] is surrounded by gangsters, each of whom is demanding 50 seats for his supporters."

Asked if he would invite Paswan to join the RJD-led alliance in Bihar, he said: "Paswan seems to have taken a vow to oppose us. There is no question of extending an invitation to him to join the secular alliance."

Asserting that his party will be voted to power for the fourth consecutive term, the RJD boss said: "There is no
no vacancy for CM's post in Bihar."