Will welcome Nitish Kumar if he joins NDA: Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan

New Delhi: LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan on Monday said he will welcome Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar into the NDA and claimed that the JD(U) chief was apprehensive that his ally Lalu Prasad of the RJD would weaken his party.

Speaking to reporters on the 16th foundation day of his party, the Union Minister lauded Mr Kumar for his support to the Centre's demonetisation step, saying he had taken a "bold decision".

Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party is part of the ruling NDA coalition at the Centre.
"If Nitish Kumar comes to the NDA, I will welcome him," the LJP leaded said. He, however, added that any such decision was the prerogative of the BJP, which headed the coalition.

Paswan claimed that Kumar, whose party JD(U) was a former BJP ally, was working "under the pressure of Prasad" who had a "history of weakening his allies".

He cited the examples of Congress and CPI, both of which were influential in Bihar in the 90s but lost much of it during their alliance with the former chief minister, and claimed that the JD(U)-RJD alliance will not last for more than two-and-a-half years.

Sources in the JD(U) though rebuffed speculation over Mr Kumar's support to demonetisation and BJP or Mr Paswan's praise for the Bihar Chief Minister.