Sunday, September 4 2005 19:23 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Daring Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) President Lalu Prasad to formally state his position on installing a Muslim as Chief Minister of Bihar, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) Chief Ramvilas Paswan today (Sept 4, 2005) announced that his party would not field any candidate against sitting MLAs of Congress even if it contested the upcoming assembly polls with RJD.

Paswan also appealed to Election Commission to postpone the schedule of Assembly Elections till November 7, 2005 since it clashed with several Hindu and Muslim festivals like Diwali, Eid, and Chhat puja.

"We will not field any candidate against any sitting MLA of Congress even if it goes along with RJD," he told reporters here.

Declaring that LJP was in the process of forming an alliance with Left parties other than Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), the Union Minister said that they would request Congress to cede relations with RJD and join them.

Dismissing any chance of LJP joining hands with RJD for the assembly polls, Paswan said, "Unless RJD supports the issue of installing a Muslim as Chief Minister, the question does not arise at all."

"I challenge Lalu Prasad to declare publicly whether he wants a Muslim Chief Minister or not," he said, adding, "If National Democratic Alliance (NDA) can fight the election with Nitish Kuamr as Chief Ministerial candidate and RJD with Rabri Devi, what is wrong if LJP declares that it will install a Muslim Chief Minister."