An alliance with two aspirants for PM's post

Though RJD and LJP have formed an alliance severing ties with the Congress, the coalition has two leaders harbouring ambitions for the post of the prime minister.

RJD boss Lalu Prasad and his LJP counterpart Ramvilas Paswan, both Union ministers, may be canvassing support jointly for their candidates in Bihar, but nurture a dream for the country's top job.

"Every person in politics wants to become the prime minister. If I don't say that it would be hypocrisy," Paswan says.
  
"All politicians dream to become the PM," Prasad says too.
  
Paswan elaborates that there are two situations when one becomes the prime minister. "First, when his party emerges as the single largest party with adequate numbers and second, when a coalition is cobbled up with like-minded parties."

"In the second case, a person on whom a consensus is arrived becomes the PM," he says and adds that in the past, H D Deve Gowda became the PM despite less than adequate seats since the partners were unanimous on him. But all such presumptions would depend upon the poll outcome.

To a query as to whether he would accept the post, if offered like Dewe Gowda had been, Paswan says, it will depend on the number of seats the alliance partners -- Samajwadi Party, RJD and LJP -- manages to get.

"If we have over 60 seats, we will certainly have the strength to bargain with Congress and other allies of the UPA but the decision on who would be the PM would be taken at that point of time and the less controversial amongst us may take over," he points out.

Lalu Prasad, chargesheeted in four fodder scam cases relating to fraudulent withdrawals of crores of rupees from Bihar treasuries when he was chief minister between 1990 and 1996, has been flamboyant when he talks of the post.

"I will achieve the goal one day," he says without elaborating on from where he will be able to drum up support.

He claims that RJD, LJP and SP would pull off spectacular performance in Bihar, Jharkhand, UP and decide the future politics of the country.

Nitish Kumar, their betenoire and chief minister, however, dissociates himself from being a contender for the top job.

"I don't live in fool's paradise as I know my limitations. I am serving the nation through serving people of Bihar and that's enough for me," Kumar says, adding L K Advani is 'undisputed and unchallenged' prime ministerial candidate for the NDA.