Paswan urges Congress to take allies along

Mumbai, Jan 2 (UNI) Calling the Congress party to retrospect on its recent electoral reverses, Lok Janshakti party (LJP) Chief and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan today said the party needs to take along its allies to halt the march of the saffron brigade.

Talking to newspersons on the sidelines of the inauguration of Rapidwall project here, he said the recent defeats in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh was a source of worry and the party should deeply ponder over the issue.

''The Congress party totally ignored its allies and there was not even one single joint campaign in these polls. When states like Karnataka are to go for the polls this year the party has to take these factors into consideration,'' Mr Paswan said.

Taking a dig at the Congress poll managers in the two states which went to hustings, the LJP leader said there was no co-ordination between the central and state leadership of the party during the campaign.

''If the party wants to retain power it will have to redraw its poll strategy making greater cohesion with all its allies''.

He, however, negated the possibility of mid-term polls saying that no political party is ready for the polls.

Taking a potshot at his arch rival and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, Paswan accused her of taking both the upper and lower caste for a ride in the name of vote bank politics.

''By bringing together the two castes in UP, Mayawati has the impression that she will be able to replicate the same combination in other states, which is not going to work,'' he said.

He also asserted that his party will field its candidates in the dalit dominated Assembly segments of Maharashtra to check the growth of Bahujan Samaj party.

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