NDA will form next government in Bihar: Paswan

Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief and union minister Ram Vilas Paswan Saturday said the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance will form the government in Bihar after the next state assembly polls.

"I am confident and sure that the NDA will form the next government if polls for state assembly are held either by the end of this year or next year," he said at a party function here.

Paswan said the people of Bihar had voted in favour of the NDA in the Lok Sabha election and they would support the alliance in the assembly polls too.

Paswan also criticised senior Janata Dal-United leader and former chief minister Nitish Kumar for seeking the Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) support for its two candidates in by-elections to the Rajya Sabha.

"Neither Nitish Kumar nor RJD chief Lalu Prasad will gain anything by joining hands against the NDA as people have made up their mind to oust both of them from the state politics," he said.

The union consumer affairs, food and public distribution minister said in his political life spanning over four decades, he has not seen a prime minister like Narendra Modi who has been working day and night for the poorest of the poor and the development of the country.

Paswan also revealed that he joined the NDA in February after being ignored by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance for a poll pact in Bihar to contest the Lok Sabha election.

"I met (Congress chief) Sonia Gandhi twice and was in constant touch with Lalu Prasad for an alliance...but they ignored me and I was forced to join hands with the BJP and won six of seven Lok Sabha seats the LJP contested," he said.