Patna, Jun 20 : The rift in the RJD-LJP alliance widened today, with the LJP deciding to support Congress candidate in the bypoll to the Purnia Assembly seat ignoring RJD's appeal.
State LJP president Pashupati Kumar Paras told reporters that his party had decided to support the Congress nominee Ramcharitra Yadav in the Purnia assembly bypoll.
"The decision is based on the report of survey conducted following the directive of LJP supremo Ramvilas Paswan," he said, adding even a team led by its legislature party leader Jakir Ahmed too suggested that the trends were in favour of Congress.
"We took the decision to avoid the split in secular votes and also to defeat the NDA nominee," Paras said.
Both the RJD and the LJP had decided against contesting the bypoll and will support a secular candidate with high winnability.
Souring relations between the two opposition parties in Bihar came to the fore on Friday with RJD leaders Ramchandra Purve and Abdul Bari Siddiqui unilaterally announcing to support CPI(M) nominee Amit Sarkar, son of slain CPI(M) MLA Ajit Sarkar, in the bypoll.
Paras said his party's alliance with the RJD stood intact and would remain in future. PTI
