LJP may contest J-K Assembly polls independently

Paswan said party's alliance with BJP was at the Centre and not at the state-level

The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) is part of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre but it may contest the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls and compete against on the saffron party.

LJP President and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, who is here, said the party's parliamentary board would hold deliberations today to take a final decision on the matter.

"I came here for assessment as Assembly polls are going to be held. I held talks with my party cadre. Most party leaders in Jammu and Kashmir want us to fight the Assembly polls," Paswan said.

He also said party's alliance with BJP was at the Centre and not at the state-level.

"Even when we were with Congress (as part of the UPA), LJP had fought state elections on its own. Wherever possible, we fight together. We are fighting together in Jharkhand, but as far as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, our party had talks with BJP president Amit Shah over Habbakadal," he said.

"BJP might have taken the decision for its own interest. But ours is a separate party and we have to keep our interest in mind," he said.

BJP had on Sunday announced to contest from Habbakadal constituency and named Moti Lal Kaul as its candidate along with candidates for 44 more seats in the state.

"Our party cadre wants our national youth president Sanjay Saraf to fight from Habbakadal. He has been struggling a lot for Kashmiris. I am taking a report from here and the parliamentary board will meet tonight and decide over the future course of action," he said.

Replying to a question about the Centre supplying food grains to the state based on the 2001 Census, the Union minister said the state government should implement the Food Security Act and then the ration would be given according to the 2011 Census.

"The previous government had enacted Food Security Act and we too are implementing that. We have told the states to implement the act and once it is implemented, then automatically the 2011 census would come into play.

"We have extended the time for its implementation to six months. Till now only 11 states have implemented the act but Jammu and Kashmir is not among them," he said.