Sonia won’t do anything to weaken UPA: Paswan

Paswan’s meeting with Prasad took place an hour after Congress announced its decision to contest over 26 seats in Bihar and admitted Lalu Prasad’s rebel brother-in-law Sadhu Yadav along with half-a-dozen RJD leaders.

The Congress decision to contest the seats in Bihar came two days after RJD and LJP reached a seat sharing accord in Bihar apportioning among them majority of the 42 seats and leaving only three for Congress.

Asked whether LJP will concede any more seats to Congress from its quota of 12 seats,Paswan said “We have got only 12 seats against our demands for 16 seats”.

Asked to comment whether this development signals disintegration of UPA,Paswan said,”There’s still time.”

“We have time before elections.” To a query whether Congress decision to contest 26 seats will have any bearing on UPA Paswan said,”It is upto Congress how many seats it will contest. Whoever contests,the number of seats will be an increase for the UPA and if they decrease it will be a decrease for the UPA.”

Describing Congress as a national party he said,”It (Congress) understands everything. Congress is the head of UPA and Sonia Gandhi its Chairperson. She’s running a national party,she understands everything.”

Declining to comment on Yadav’s joining Congress he said “I have nothing to say. Everybody is free to join any party.”

“And Congress is after all not an alien party. It is UPA,” he added.