Monday, June 13 2005 17:41 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Rejecting RJD's (Rashtriya Janata Dal) suggestion for an alliance with his party in the Bihar Assembly polls, Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan today (Jun 13, 2005) ruled out any truck with it but kept doors open for Congress and the Left parties in a secular front.

"The LJP (Lok Janshakti Party) will not compromise with NDA (National Democratic Alliance) or RJD in the coming election. LJP is in favour of electoral alliances with all the secular forces other than RJD in the coming election," he told reporters after an Executive Meeting of his party.

Replying to questions, he said LJP was prepared to go with Congress, CPI (Communist Party of India), CPM (Communist party of India-Marxist) and CPML (Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist), but not with RJD or BJP and favoured a non-RJD secular front comprising these parties.

He said that he had met CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan yesterday (Jun 12, 2005) and had two meetings with veteran CPM leader Harkishen Singh Surjeet recently. He, however, added that the meetings were personal in nature and no politics figured.

Paswan said before Bihar goes to polls, there will be one more National Executive meeting to finalise tie-ups.

LJP's refusal to have electoral alliance with RJD comes in the backdrop of RJD spokesman Shivanand Tiwari stating that his party had no objection having an alliance with LJP to defeat the NDA, "If Paswan desires so".

In a dig at JDU (Janata Dal United), he said its "double face" was exposed on the issue of L K Advani's resignation from the post of BJP President.

"The JDU supported Advani (when he quit) trying to prove itself secular. But when he took back his resignation under RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) pressure, JDU did not show courage to separate itself from NDA.

BJP is also divided on the Jinnah issue and cannot talk of Hinduism or secularism," he added.