We don't have any B team in Bihar, Chirag Paswan misleading people: Javadekar

Patna, Oct 16: Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Friday slammed Chirag Paswan, saying that the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) president is trying to mislead the people of Bihar by taking names of senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders.

Paswan has been lauding the BJP and its top leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, while attacking JD(U) president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, giving rise to speculation that he has some tacit understanding with the saffron party.

"Chirag has chosen a separate path in Bihar, adding that the LJP will be left as a vote cutter party. He also stressed that the BJP doesn't have any B or C team. Javadekar also stated that the NDA will get a three-fourth majority in the Bihar election," Javadekar told reporters.

Other senior BJP leaders, including party general secretary Bhupender Yadav, too hit out at Paswan, who walked out of the ruling National Democratic Alliance in Bihar and his party LJP is contesting the assembly polls on its own. Yadav accused Paswan of practising "politics of lies", saying he had been praising the Bihar government in February this year.

Chirag has said that his ties with the BJP are intact and would ensure Nitish Kumar's defeat.

Chirag who will hit the campaign trail by October 21 said that it was his father Ram Vilas Paswan who before his death told him to sever ties with the JD(U) and establish a new regime. I expressed my opinion to Amit Shah and J P Nadda. Shah gave me a patient hearing, but never told me not to sever my ties with Nitish Kumar. He remained quiet, Chirag also said.

He also said that his sole purpose was the ouster of Nitish Kumar. Once the elections are over, we will form the government with the BJP.

The Bihar polls are scheduled in three phases on October 28, November 3 and November 7. The counting of votes will be done on November 10.