With ties under strain, LJP wants Jaitley to list demonetisation benefits

New Delhi, Dec 20: Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) president Ram Vilas Paswan and his son Chirag Paswan held a meeting with BJP party chief Amit Shah on Thursday in New Delhi.

The meeting comes in the backdrop of repeated warnings from LJP leader Chirag Paswan who has been asking the BJP to clear issues that it will be fighting on in the next Lok Sabha polls in 2019.

An hour-long meeting between top BJP leaders, including its president Amit Shah and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan and his son Chirag remained inconclusive, PTI reported.

However, BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav, who is his party's in- charge for Bihar and was present in the meeting, insisted that there is no problem in the alliance and that it is intact.

LJP said the BJP's defeat in the five state polls have ignited a rethink in the party over its ties with the saffron party. Chirag, sources said, had written a letter to Jaitley with a copy to Modi after the results were announced on December 11 and asked him to list the benefits of demonetisation so that he can "explain" them to people, they said.

In his comments to media, Chirag has spoken about unease among farmers and youths, and had also tweeted about the ruling National Democratic Alliance passing through "trying times".

Yadav first met the father and son duo at their residence and they then drove to Shah's house where Jaitley also joined them.

Jaitley has in the past dealt with Bihar's political affairs and enjoys good ties with leaders across parties.

A key constituent of the ruling NDA, LJP has demanded at least six Lok Sabha seats and one in Rajya Sabha. The discussion between the BJP and LJP have been on for quite some time but nothing has come out as yet.

The BJP has already lost ally RSLP in Bihar. RSLP chief Upendra Kushwaha is expected to join UPA today in New Delhi. He can also join the proposed Grand Alliance in Bihar.