Wednesday, April 6 2005 11:55 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Unfazed by Lok Janashakti Party (LJP) insisting on his snapping ties with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Janata Dal United (JDU) leader Nitish Kumar is keen on meeting Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan and has sought an appointment with him as part of attempts to end the political logjam in Bihar.

Sources said since Paswan, who reached New Delhi yesterday (Apr 5, 2005) from Patna, had said that he would talk to Kumar after April 4, the JDU Chief Ministerial candidate sought an appointment with the Union Steel Minister and was awaiting a reply.

Kumar had recently sent letters to 17 Independent MLAs and six parties outside Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and BJP brackets to seek their support for Government formation. But with Paswan insisting that JDU part ways with BJP first, his efforts came a cropper.

Paswan had said in Ranchi last week that the issue of taking inside or outside support from the BJP would be decided after JDU broke ties with BJP, indicating softening of stand on taking support from the saffron party.

But after meeting Governor Buta Singh in Patna on Sunday (Apr 3, 2005), he reiterated his anti-RJD and anti-BJP chant and made it clear that the LJP would help form Government in the State on its own terms.