A viable alternative could be evolved: Paswan

Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan on Thursday appealed to the Congress and other parties opposed to Samajwadi Party, Bharatiya Janata Party and Bahujan Samaj Party to come together on a common platform to fight the coming Assembly polls so that a viable alternative could be evolved in Uttar Pradesh.

"I have already floated this idea to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Jan Morcha patron V P Singh and now the ball is in their court," Paswan, also the Union Steel and Fertilizers Minister, told reporters in Lucknow.

He said if the Congress, Jan Morcha and other parties opposed to SP, BJP and BSP come together to contest the polls together, "these parties could cash it in the elections."

If this happens, a "viable alternative" can emerge in the state, he added.

The LJP was already in alliance with Jan Morcha in the state, Paswan said adding, his party had held a series of rallies in different parts of the state during the last few weeks.

"We have also identified the seats to be contested by the LJP in the Assembly polls," he said.

Paswan claimed that Dalits were disenchanted with BSP chief Mayawati due to her efforts to woo upper castes for political gains.

Asked about the demand for dismissal of the Mulayam Singh Yadav government in the state, Paswan said that such a step would divert attention of the people from the failures of the state governemnt.