JD(U), LJP, RLSP will cease to be politically relevant if they remain with BJP: Cong

Parties like Nitish Kumar's JD(U) and Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP will cease to be politically relevant in Bihar if they stay in alliance with the BJP as there is "discontent" among backward classes, Congress leader in-charge of the state Shaktisinh Gohil said today.

Gohil, also a party spokesperson, said "winnability" will be the main criteria for seat sharing among 'grand alliance' parties in Bihar and opposition unity there will show the way for cooperation in other states.

He said that in Bihar, NDA constituents Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) which primarily draw their support from people belonging to backward classes, are likely to quit the alliance before the Lok Sabha polls.

"There is a loud and clear message in Bihar that the central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is against the SCs, STs, backward and most backward classes. All those in alliance with the BJP, be it Nitish Kumar ji, Paswan ji, Kushwaha ji, they all seek support of people belonging to these sections, so how will they stay with the BJP," he told PTI here.

"I don't think these parties will stay with the NDA and if they stay, the BJP will just lose, but they will cease to be politically relevant," he said.

Gohil said that the best law for the SCs and STs was the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act that was brought by former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and the NDA government committed the "sin" of diluting it.

The judge who gave two judgements against the SCs and STs was given a big post in the National Green Tribunal after retirement by the government, he said, referring to the appointment of AK Goel as NGT chairman.

"Not going by what we are saying or the RJD is saying, for their own sake, they will have to get out of the alliance with the BJP," Gohil said of NDA alliance partners in Bihar.

Asked if opposition's doors are open for Kumar, Paswan and Kushwaha, he said, "I would not like to answer a hypothetical question, I will only react if such a situation arises."
On Nitish Kumar, he said, "He is now with BJP. Ideologically they are east and west... people of Bihar are suffering."