'Lotus will not be allowed to bloom,' says Paswan

New Delhi, May 15 (ANI): The "lotus will not be allowed to bloom" at the Centre at any cost, said Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan.

"We will not support BJP at any cost to form a government and will make all efforts to ensure that a secular government is formed," he told reporters on Friday.

Paswan also confirmed that he had had meetings with Janata Dal (United) (JD-U) chief Sharad Yadav and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president Ajit Singh.

LJP secretary general Abdul Khaliq dismissed any possibility of his party switching over to the NDA and downplayed the issue of NDA leaders calling up Paswan.

When asked whether he was still with the UPA, Paswan said: "I am in UPA and also a Minister in the government." Asked if he would remain in UPA, he said there were two possibilities that could emerge.

"If UPA can get majority, there will be no problem. The other scenario is the UPA does not get majority. In that situation, we three parties in the Fourth Front would jointly take a decision on the methodology of forming a secular government."

Asked whether the results would have been better if the UPA allies had fought the polls jointly in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, Paswan said: "We wished all fought unitedly. But Congress preferred to contest the elections alone in the two states. But even then, our results will be good."

"At this stage we want to clarify that LJP, RJD and SP will take decision as a bloc and not as individual parties. SP is not a part of UPA till now. But it will play and important role in forming the next government," he said.

Regarding the relationship with the Left parties, Paswan said it was not bad, but cordial.

Meanwhile, in Lucknow, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has rubbished reports of talking to or joining the BJP-led NDA or the UPA-led by the Congress.

The BSP said no secret meeting had taken place between party chief Mayawati and BJP's prime ministerial candidate LK Advani.

The BSP's support is being considered crucial to both the BJP and the Congress.

Party insiders say that Mayawati would prefer "not to support a BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)-led government that would antagonise Muslim voters."

The BSP is tipped to get around 30 seats.

In Andhra Pradesh, Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi's Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) on Friday said it is keeping its doors open for post-poll alliances.

"Any political party has to act in such a way that it should never close any doors post-elections. PRP is also doing the same thing," PRP general secretary Allu Aravind told reporters here when asked whether it will align with Congress.

Arvind also took a dig at the Third Front and said it was a "fractured front at present as one of its members has packed and taken his baggage out of it" in a apparent reference to the TRS, which switched sides to NDA recently.

There is intense speculation that Congress is trying to reach out to Chiranjeevi to get his support both at the state and the Centre. (ANI)