New Delhi, Aug. 29: The tussle between Laloo Prasad Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan for political space in Bihar may not be good news for their rivals, the BJP and the Janata Dal (United).

The spat between the Yadav and Dalit leaders is likely to harm the electoral prospects of the NDA in the state. Some leaders even suspect that there could be a covert deal between the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Lok Janshakti Party leaders.

Paswan’s bid to emerge as the rallying point of all anti-Laloo Prasad forces is seen by analysts as an attempt to rob the BJP-Dal(U) of its upper caste and other backward classes vote banks.

If nothing else, Paswan could split the anti-Laloo Prasad votes and help the RJD, wittingly or unwittingly.

With Paswan going out of the RJD-Congress-Left alliance in the state, ticket distribution has also become less troublesome for Laloo Prasad.

Had the alliance remained intact, the railway minister would have had to satisfy the demands of not only the Congress, which is struggling to revive in Bihar, but also an ambitious Paswan.

Paswan had announced that his front would contest all the 243 seats in Bihar and 81 in Jharkhand in the February Assembly elections.

Sources said the RJD was initially planning to give the Congress 25 to 30 seats but with Paswan out, Laloo Prasad is willing to hand the national party 60.

The Congress was given only four seats for the Lok Sabha elections while Paswan was given eight.

Last week, former Union minister Nagmani quit the BJP and joined the LJP. Nagmani belongs to the OBC Koeri caste that accounts for 6 per cent of votes as against Nitish Kumar’s caste base of 3 per cent Kurmis.

Paswan also roped in Bihar People’s Party leader Anand Mohan, a Rajput, and Kali Pandey, a former MP and a Brahmin.

On the eve of the Lok Sabha polls, Suraj Bhan, an upper caste Bhumihar and a one-time supporter of Nitish, had also joined the LJP.

If Paswan ignores the NDA’s overtures and sticks with the United Progressive Alliance, the BJP-Dal(U) could be hit hard.

While the LJP chief is wooing important state-level leaders of all parties, sources said that there was no truth in reports that Dal(U) leaders Sharad Yadav and Nitish Kumar were in touch with Paswan. “He is interested in the cadre and not big leaders who will only create problems at a later stage,” a source said.

Top leaders of the BJP and the Dal(U) suspect that despite his fulminations against Laloo Prasad, Paswan would not sacrifice his minister’s berth and ditch the Congress-led alliance at the Centre. The LJP leader is the Union minister of steel and chemicals and fertilisers.

“We are a viable non-communal alternative in Bihar. The coming Assembly elections in the state will prove that people no longer have to depend on the NDA to fulfil their aspirations to get rid of the anti-people jungle raj of the RJD,” Paswan said.

An overwhelming view in the Congress is to dump the RJD and align with Paswan, but the Congress high command is unlikely to do anything that might alienate Laloo Prasad as it needs his crucial support at the Centre and he is a better bulwark against the BJP-RSS.