New Delhi, May 21: Fresh cracks surfaced in the UPA camp on the eve of its first anniversary as Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party faced the threat of a split in Bihar.

Although it was unclear how many MLAs of the LJP would break away ? the figures ranged from 20 to 22 ? the guesstimate was either close to or beyond the two-third mark needed to legalise a split under the amended anti-defection law.

The LJP has 29 MLAs and a two-third split would require a strength of 20.

Paswan directed his ire more at Laloo Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal than at the BJP or the Janata Dal (United).

Speaking to the press here, he hinted at the involvement of the RJD and the NDA in efforts to break his party to form a government in Bihar. “I do not know exactly but both the NDA and RJD could be behind it as the path which the LJP is traversing was not favourable to both,” he said.

Slamming the RJD, the chemicals and fertilisers minister accused Laloo Prasad of preventing the formation of any government other than one headed by his wife, Rabri Devi.

“I had given a formula of a Congress-led secular government to be headed by a Muslim. He (Laloo Prasad) ruled Bihar for 15 years with Congress support and in the name of secularism but when it came to supporting a Muslim CM, he backed out,” alleged Paswan. He accused the RJD of covertly helping the NDA install itself in power in Bihar.

Paswan, who reportedly had a comfortable relationship with Bihar governor Buta Singh (he praised him on numerous occasions), got a shock when Singh “obliged” Laloo Prasad by shunting out two “uncomfortable” officials and appointing a hand-picked nominee of the railway minister as his adviser. Sources close to him admitted Paswan had realised he was no longer the Congress’s “pet”.