Paswan predicts hung UP assembly; urges VP, Cong to join hands

Varanasi, Oct 7 (UNI) Predicting a hung assembly in Uttar Pradesh other the 2007 polls, Lok Janashakti Party president and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan today urged Congress and former Prime Minister V P Singh to join hands for ''ushering the wind of change'' in the state.

Interacting with newspersons here, Mr Paswan said he foresaw a hung assembly in UP after the 2007 elections and a decrease in the number of MLAs from Samajwadi Party, BSP and BJP. ''The LJP and Jan Morcha Alliance will play a decisive role in the next assembly polls in UP,'' he maintained.

''Hum vote katwa nahi sarkar banwayua honge (we will be the king makers in UP),'' Mr Paswan claimed.

All for a tie-up between LJP, Congress and V P Singh's Jan Morcha in UP, Mr Paswan said that if the former PM and Congress shed their old differences and join hands, the alliance is bound to perform will in UP.

Continuing his diatribe against BSP president Mayawati, Mr Paswan said the party formed by Kanshi Ram no longer enjoyed the overall support of Dalits, as it was now veering away from the path of its founding fathers.

''Many important BSP leaders including R K Vidyarthi -- former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) of Mayawati -- are now in the LJP fold, which will spoil all BSP calculations in the assembly polls.

Even, the base of BJP and ruling SP will erode significantly due to the Jan Morcha-LJP front,'' he added.

Meanwhile, LJP plans a big rally in Lucknow on November 16 next to mark the birth anniversary of great warrior Virangana Uda Devi.

UNI ARS NAB VD BST1714