India / LJP to not contest Bihar Assembly polls in alliance with JD(U)

New Delhi: Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) will contest state elections in Bihar alone, sources said, soon after a meeting began this afternoon in Delhi.

The party, a key BJP ally, will field candidates against Nitish Kumar's JDU and not the BJP in the state elections, sources added, stressing that it will be a "LJP-BJP" alliance. 

Several party leaders are attending the meeting where Chirag Paswan is also present. Veena Devi, Chandan Singh, Surajbhan Singh, Raju Tiwari, Prince Raj, Kali Pandey, and Abdul Khalid, among other party  leaders are present.

The meeting, which was to be held on Saturday, was postponed after Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, Chirag Paswan's father, was hospitalised. He underwent a heart surgery last night at a hospital in Delhi, Chirag Paswan said in a tweet this morning.

Prime Minster Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah called up Chirag Paswan to enquire about his father's health and told him that once his father recovers, "he will be proud of how well his son looked after him".

On Saturday, Chirag Paswan "sought people's blessings" for his party's "Bihar first Bihari first" vision document.

In a statement, he heaped praise on PM Modi and said all his party's candidates will strengthen the BJP leader's hand.

"It is not only my hope but confidence that you will bless me to make Bihar first and restore its pride so that all my candidates could strengthen the hands of the prime minister," he posted a message on Twitter with a picture of PM Modi talking to him and keeping his hand on Mr Paswan's shoulders.

The BJP's relationship status with the Paswans has been complicated over the past few months because of a feud between Nitish Kumar and Chirag Paswan.

Bihar will vote on October 28, November 3 and 7 for a new government and the results will be announced on November 10.