LJP appoints Manishankar Pandey as party's Uttar Pradesh president

Union minister and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) president Ram Vilas Paswan Monday appointed Manishankar Pandey, who had quit the Congress recently, as his party's Uttar Pradesh president.

Welcoming Pandey, who also joined the LJP Monday, Paswan said his presence would strengthen his party in the politically most important state as it always "drew" support from different sections of society but could not build on it due to lack of a face.

Pandey, a former MLC who said he has been in the Congress for over 45 years, also lashed out at the main opposition party's leadership, saying it had destroyed the organisation in the state as it was only interested in allying with regional parties to come to power at the Centre.