Chirag virtually rules out truce with Paras, blames him for LJP split

Patna: Former Lok Janshakti Party president Chirag Paswan on Tuesday virtually ruled out a rapprochement with uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras and cousin Prince Raj, squarely blaming them for the split in the party founded by his late father Ram Vilas Paswan.

Chirag, who now heads Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), was here to celebrate Holi with supporters, and said that he was looking forward to the Lok Sabha polls as an opportunity to leave behind a despondent phase during which 'many had written my political obituary'.

"I am thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and all NDA partners in the state for reposing trust in me. My party will put every ounce of effort to ensure that the NDA wins 400 plus seats, and bags all 40 constituencies in Bihar," said Chirag Paswan, whose party has got five seats as per the seat-sharing formula decided by the BJP-led coalition.

The formula has left Paras high and dry and he has reacted by resigning from the Union cabinet and declaring that he will seek re-election from Hajipur, which late Paswan represented several times during his lifetime and from where Chirag Paswan has declared his intent to enter the fray, in a bid to claim his father’s legacy.

BJP leaders have been maintaining that they would like the two factions, the one headed by Chirag Paswan and Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party of Paras and Prince Raj, to come together.

However, when Chirag Paswan was asked about the same, he replied, “It is for him (Paras) to decide. After my father’s death, being the eldest member of the family, it was his responsibility to take everybody along." To a pointed query as to whether he would consider giving reconciliation a chance if Paras chose to make amends, Chirag Paswan said, "It does not depend solely on me. There are so many others involved, like my mother, my sisters….. moreover, I have been watching him stubbornly refusing a patch-up whenever questions about the same have been posed to him by the media."

Chirag also rejected outright speculations in a section of the media that an indirect reconciliation has been worked out with Prince Raj, son of his father’s late younger brother Ram Chandra Paswan, and his sister could be fielded by LJP (Ram Vilas) from Samastipur, which her brother came to represent after her father’s death.

"We have decided our candidate for Samastipur and all other seats. It will be made public in a day or two. I do not know from where such rumours have arisen. But I would like to dismiss these outright," asserted Chirag.

Incidentally, Prince Raj met BJP’s Bihar in-charge Vinod Tawde to extend Holi greetings and posted pictures on X, triggering speculations that he may be planning to join the saffron party, having realised that rapprochement with his cousin was unlikely and his uncle was fast becoming a spent force.

Chirag was also asked about Mehboob Ali Kaiser and Veena Devi, the sitting MPs from Khagaria and Vaishali respectively, who had sided with Paras when the LJP split in 2021 but have of late been swearing by their loyalty towards the party founder’s son.

The two MPs also drove down to the late Paswan’s house here, which doubles up as the office of LJP (Ram Vilas), ostensibly to extend Holi greetings.

They told reporters that they will contest elections if their national president Chirag Paswan gives us a ticket.

Chirag kept his cards close to his chest, saying “Our parliamentary board has almost finalised a decision on them. It will be communicated in one or two days”.

Asked about Jamui, from where he is shifting base after having represented the seat for two consecutive terms, Chirag said, “It has been informally known to all, and I can say on record that Arun Bharti shall be our candidate."

Bharti, whose mother Jyoti Devi is a Congress leader and former Bihar minister, is married to Chirag’s sister Nisha. Jamui goes to polls in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 19.