Sunday, May 22 2005 12:30 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: In a bid to prevent a split in LJP (Lok Janashakti Party) legislature party in Bihar, party National General Secretary Suraj Bhan Singh arrived in Patna this morning (May 22, 2005) by a chartered plane to take back the available party MLAs to Delhi to attend a meeting called by party chief Ram Vilas Paswan.

President of LJP's dissolved Bihar unit Narendra Singh asked Paswan to work towards formation of a Nitish Kumar-led Government in the State. The LJP has 29 MLAs in the Assembly.

"Paswan has made several sacrifices in the past and quit the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) Government in the wake of Gujarat riots. Now time has come once again for his renunciation and he should immediately part company with the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) and step down from Manmohan Singh Ministry for the sake of Bihar and also to avoid imminent split in LJP", Singh told reporters in Patna.

Singh said he had already approached Paswan for backing a Government led by Nitish Kumar after the Congress and RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) rejected his (Paswan's) formula for a Congress-led Government in Bihar.

In Delhi, Paswan reviewed the Bihar developments with some of his senior party leaders and later told reporters that the legislature party was "intact" and discounted reports of a split in his party.