Paswan returns to NDA, formally announces alliance with BJP

NEW DELHI: LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan on Thursday formally announced his return to the NDA fold, announcing to contest the next Lok Sabha election with the BJP-led alliance.

BJP chief Rajnath Singh welcomed Paswan into the NDA fold and announced that the LJP will contest on 7 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar.

Paswan formmaly announced that his party had returned to the NDA fold for the next Lok Sabha election.

He praised Rajnath Singh for building consensus.

Earlier, leaders of the two parties engaged in hectic parleys on seat-sharing in Bihar after three senior BJP leaders met LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan at his residence.

In a politically-significant gesture, BJP leaders Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Shahnawaz Hussain went to Paswan's residence in the afternoon to hold consultations with him.

Soon after, Bihar LJP President Pashupati Kumar Paras and party parliamentary board chairman Chirag Paswan met BJP leaders Dharmendra Pradhan, Bihar BJP chief Mangal Pandey, its leader in state assembly Nand Kishore Yadav and senior leader Sushil Kumar Modi.

Rudy, Hussain and Prasad were also present in the meeting. From the LJP side, Chirag and Paras are negotiating the alliance with BJP after LJP secretary general Abdul Khalik took a back seat after talks with Congress-RJD failed.