The Congress admitted on Saturday that Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan's insistence on a Muslim chief minister for Bihar as a pre-condition for his fighting the coming assembly polls alongside United Progressive Alliance partners would 'benefit' the National Democratic Alliance.
It added, however, that any decision on removing his party from the Centre's ruling coalition would be taken by the UPA chairperson.
"Paswan's proposal of a Muslim chief minister is unworkable and unviable. This pre-condition will strengthen the NDA at the cost of the UPA. But any decision on removing the LJP from the UPA will be taken by its chairperson, Sonia Gandhi," Congress general secretary in charge of Bihar, Digvijay Singh said.
Singh said Paswan should realise that the issue of defeating the 'communal and fundamentalist forces' was more important than having a Muslim chief minister. "Moreover, discussing the chief ministership issue even before having a majority will not not serve any purpose," he added.
Pointing out that the Congress wanted a "total" alliance among its UPA allies this time, leaving no scope for friendly contests, he said, "we want a joint candidate for every seat, a joint campaign and even a joint manifesto."
He said the Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Nationalist Congress Party had agreed to fight the coming polls together. "Despite Paswan's repeated assertions about not having any truck with RJD, our efforts to persuade him are on and we will also approach the Communist Party of India to forge an electoral tie-up," he said.
