Monday, May 9 2005 09:29 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Allahabad: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) yesterday (May 8, 2005) claimed that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition would be able to form a Government led by Janata Dal United (JDU) leader Nitish Kumar in Bihar within the next 15 days and said the current political crisis in Bihar would come to an end soon.

"In the last Lok Sabha polls, Laloo's lantern had bedazzled the NDA. In the Assembly polls we extinguished the lantern's flame, but so far there has been a spell of darkness in the State. We hope to bring new light within 15 days," Senior BJP leader Syed Shanawaz Hussein told reporters in Allahabad.

Asked how he hoped a Government would be formed by NDA when it did not have the numbers, Hussein evaded a direct reply and said, "We won't try to break a group. We would only try to build a group".

On Lo Janashakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan's demand for a Muslim Chief Minister, Hussein said, "It was a non-serious demand and tended to communalize politics in Bihar."

"Had Paswan's party got the majority, he or his brother would have become the Chief Minister, Since that is not possible, such demands are being made," Hussein said.

"If Paswan is to serious about giving Muslims a good representation in politics, he should try and get someone inducted in the Union Cabinet," Hussein, who served as a Cabinet Minister in the previous NDA Government, said.

On the recent controversy over a letter written by IAS Officer L V Saptharishi to the Law Minister H R Bharadwaj, Hussin said, "This is a frivolous allegation made by an officer on the verge of retirement with a not-so-good track record."