Tuesday, May 24 2005 17:06 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Keeping cards close to his chest, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) Chief and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan today (May 24, 2005) declined to spell out his strategy for the Bihar Assembly elections and said it was for Congress to decide on having electoral ties with United Progressive Alliance (UPA) partners.

"There is no hurry. Elections are not going to be held tomorrow (May 25, 2005). First I will strengthen my organisation all over Bihar and then think of alliances," he told when asked to name the parties with which LJP would have seat adjustments in the coming elections.

A day after the dissolution on the hung Bihar Assembly, Paswan claimed that he had been receiving telephone calls from Muslim leaders thanking him for his "tough stand" to have a Muslim Chief Minister in the State.

Paswan said that he could have easily bargained for the post of Deputy Chief Minister for his brother Pashupati Paras, but he sacrificed it to press for a Muslim Chief Minister. "If I am to blame for my rigid stand, I stick to it," he said.

Asked as to how his party could fare at the coming Assembly elections given the public perception that because of his equidistance from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) the State has been pushed to another polls within a year, Paswan quipped "double than the last elections". LJP had won 29 seats in the 243-member House.

On RJD supremo Laloo Prasad's remark that he would leave more seats for Congress this time, Paswan said Prasad was behaving as if he was giving alms to a beggar.

"I have cordial relations with Congress and it is for that party to decide on tie ups. I cannot dictate to Congress that you have understanding with me or Laloo Prasad," he said.