PATNA: The Lok Janshakti Party has decided to contest the Bihar elections independently, the party said after its Parliamentary Board met on Sunday.
The party, whose Parliamentary Board met on Sunday instead of Saturday as initially scheduled, cited “ideological differences” with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United).
“Owing to ideological differences with Janata Dal (United), LJP has decided to contest Assembly elections independently,” a party release said.
The meeting had to be put off till Sunday because of the poor health of party president Chirag Paswan’s Union Minister father Ram Vilas Paswan.
LJP leaders however said that it would continue to be part of the National Democratic Alliance, adding that there were many instances were allies had contested elections against one another, including Jharkhand, where the LJP had similarly chosen to contest elections independent of the NDA.
The party also decided that LJP legislators will strengthen the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi sources said. The party also decided it would continue to give priority to its ‘Bihar First Bihari First’ mission.
Sources said the party had conveyed its decision to the BJP, which will draw up a final list of candidates for the election scheduled for later this month. The BJP is fighting the election in alliance with the Janata Dal (United), which wants 124 seats.