Monday, February 21 2005 16:39 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Rejecting outright the possibility of a post-poll alliance with Ramvilas Paswan's LJP (Lok Janshakti Party) to form a Government in Bihar in the event of a hung Assembly, BJP (Bharatiya Janata Dal) General Secretary Pramod Mahajan today (Feb 21, 2005) said the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) would instead prefer to sit in the Opposition.

"Though a pro-NDA wave seems to be sweeping across Bihar and I am reasonably sure about forming our Government, we will prefer to sit in Opposition in the event of a fractured mandate rather than joining hands with Paswan," Mahajan told sources in Patna.

Stating that the poll results in Bihar would have "far reaching consequences" for national politics, he said an NDA victory will weaken the UPA Government and if Laloo Prasad's RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) returned to power the Union Government will have to "suffer yet another bout of blackmail by the Bihar leader".

"In both situations, the Central Government is in for a major headache, Paswan said.

"The Left parties are already dissatisfied with the Congress-led UPA Government and Prasad's failure to secure a fourth term will weaken the ruling coalition," he said.

On the issue of Chief Ministerial candidate of the NDA, he said there are no differences on this account as JD-U (Janata Dal- United) leader Nitish Kumar is the unanimous choice.

Asked if the BJP would go back on its stand of supporting Kumar as Chief Minister if it secured more seats than JDU, Mahajan said, "While BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) has fielded 103 candidates, JDU has put up 138 and so we expect it to win larger number of seats and in such a situation Nitish Kumar will be the natural choice."

Mahajan recalled that in 2000 Assembly elections BJP had more MLAs than Samata party-JD (U) combine, but Kumar was given the opportunity to head the short-lived Government as there was no better choice.

"There is no better alternative before the NDA in Bihar than Kumar even now and so there is no scope for differences," he said.

Mahajan, who addressed election meetings in 70-odd constituencies during his month-long stay, said, "Bihar's malaise lies in people's indifference to development. Unless they rise above caste considerations, Bihar cannot develop."

He, however, felt that there was a discernable change in the attitude of voters this time. As a result the RJD president Laloo Prasad too was raising the issue of development during electioneering, he observed.

The BJP leader admitted that Gujarat riots and anti-incumbency factor contributed to the defeat of the NDA in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections but voiced confidence that repeated reference to Gujarat tragedy by Laloo Prasad would not benefit him in Bihar polls.

"It is for the first time that development has emerged as the single most important electoral issue in Bihar and the performance of RJD Government on this front has been dismal," he said.

Mahajan expressed satisfaction over the conduct of first two phases of polls and said the Election Commission would be able to hold a fair and impartial poll in the third phase too.