Wednesday, March 9 2005 09:26 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Seen by both the major formations as a villain who was responsible for President's rule in Bihar, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan is unfazed by the attacks on him and says he will not take any initiative immediately for formation of a Government in the State.

After a month under President's rule and if there was a possibility of putting together a non-Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) combine, then he feels Congress can be convinced to ditch RJD, which has already become "untouchable" in Bihar.

Paswan, in an interview, ruled out leaving the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) or backing the RJD heading a Government in Bihar minus Laloo Prasad or Rabri Devi as Chief Minister. He also disfavoured fresh elections.

"No. I am talking of the party (RJD). Laloo means RJD. RJD means Laloo. I will not tie up with RJD at any time. That is final," he said in reply to a question whether there was a possibility of his party, LJP, which has 29 MLAs, accepting RJD-led Government under a new leader.

Asked how long would he expect the President's rule to continue, the LJP leader said that the Central rule has just come. "Let us see for a month how it works. I will consider taking the initiative after a month," he said.

Asked about the possibility of Bihar's early return to popular rule, Paswan said it was possible if all non-BJP and non-RJD MLAs, who number about 132 in a House of 243, come together.

"For that, Janata Dal-United (JD-U) will have to come out of the clutches of BJP. Then the numbers will fall in place," he said claiming support of MLAs belonging to Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist (CPI-ML), Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Communist Party of India (CPI), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Independents. JD-U with 55 and LJP's 29 will make the nucleus of this combination, he added.

"In that case we can easily convince Congress to come out of RJD's grip and support a secular Government," he said, adding, "My attitude will be positive if some secular formation takes the initiative."

Asked why Congress rushed with its letter of support to RJD for formation of a Government, Paswan said Laloo Prasad was "blackmailing" Congress for giving support in Jharkhand as a quid pro quo in Bihar.

To a question whether Congress was asking him to patch up with Laloo Prasad for forming a Government in Bihar, he said, "No. I have assured Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that it (LJP-RJD tussle) will not affect UPA as every State has its own compulsion and State issues should not be brought to national politics."

Ruling out the possibility of tying up with BJP-led NDA, Paswan said his party's plank in the elections was both anti-Laloo and anti-BJP.

"If I leave UPA then the signal will go that I am siding with communal forces. So the question (of quitting UPA) does not arise," he said, adding, "We can't betray Muslims".

He said there was also no possibility of taking "either inside or outside" support of BJP. He also dismissed as BJP-RJD propaganda that his MLAs were restive for power and that they would desert him if there was a prolonged delay in Government formation.

Parrying a question as to when he saw the possibility of the deadlock being broken, Paswan said, "My whole attention is to see how Bihar can be put back on the rails and people's life and property protected."

He said that his political priority was now to consolidate the Dalit-Muslim combination that worked magic for him in the elections. His priority was also to make a Muslim the Chief Minister and he was not interested in the post.

Asked why he broke with Laloo Prasad after fighting the Lok Sabha elections with him, Paswan said, "Then there was the compulsion of having to oust the NDA regime for which Sonia Gandhi came to my residence. I was not with Laloo Prasad."