Tuesday, July 19 2005 17:35 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: In a virtual snub to LJP (Lok Janshakti Party) leader Ramvilas Paswan, the CPM (Communist Party of India-Marxist) today (July 19, 2005) advised his party to quit the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) if it was not prepared to fight the upcoming Bihar assembly elections with its coalition partners against the NDA (National Democratic Alliance).

"If the LJP is not prepared to fight alongside other UPA partners against the NDA in the assembly elections, it should come out of the UPA and lend its issue-based support from outside. There is no point in remaining in the UPA and fighting the polls against its constituents," CPM politburo member Sitaram Yechury told reporters.

Yechury was responding to reporters' queries on LJP president's oft repeated stand that the UPA did not exist in Bihar and that if the CPM can fight elections against the Congress in West Bengal while supporting the Congress-led Government at the Centre, why cannot the LJP do the same in Bihar.

"We are supporting the UPA Government from outside on the issue of secularism, but Paswan's party is a constituent of the Centre's ruling alliance. There is no ideology in Paswan's remaining a member of the UPA cabinet and fighting against its constituents in Bihar", he said.

The CPM leader, however, expressed the hope that the LJP leader would ultimately come around and the UPA would put up a united show against the NDA in the assembly polls.

"We hope that the LJP would take a lesson from the past when a secular Government could not be formed in Bihar. The CPM does not want the secular votes to be divided once again as it would only benefit the NDA in its endeavour to come to power in the State", he said.