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Cong poach LJP men, guns for more faces

PATNA — Ramvilas Paswan’s Lok Janashakti Party (LJP) received a jolt today with several of its leaders, including former state president Satish Kumar joining the Congress, which is making a desperate bid to emerge as the alternative to ruling NDA in Bihar.

Satish Kumar, ex-LJP Parliamentary Board chief, took the primary membership of the Congress in the presence of its Bihar in-charge Jagdish Tytler here.

The others who switched to Congress include state-level LJP leaders Ranjit Prasad Kushwaha, Devi Dayal Singh, Shyambali Ram alias Mahabali Paswan, Satyendra Singh Patel, Praveen Kumar Singh, Sudhir Kumar Ojha, Vinay Kumar Singh and Kamlesh Rai.

JMM leader Muktinath Upadhyay too joined the Congress in presence of its state chief Anil Kumar Sharma and Tytler.

Tytler said the people of Bihar are favourably inclined to the Congress and the policies pursued by it. ”There are several others who are to follow suit,” he said.

“There are several JD(U) leaders, including MLAs, are in touch with us and they want to join Congress… The days of the Nitish government are just numbered,” Tytler said.

“The politics of castes has been unleashed by Nitish Kumar in Bihar and a similar political situation existed when the RJD of Lalu Prasad was in power,” he said.

Tytler was speaking after a meeting with the party’s block and district presidents and other office bearers to discuss the strategy for the 2010 assembly polls. Congress, he said, would promote youths in the 2010 polls and give tickets to 60 per cent new faces.

- AGENCIES