<p>The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), a key NDA ally, is heading towards a generational shift. Its national president and Union Minister in Narendra Modi Cabinet, Ram Vilas Paswan, is likely to pass on the baton to his son Chirag Paswan, a two-term Lok Sabha MP from Bihar’s Naxal-infested Jamui.</p>.<p>The formal announcement and coronation of Chirag (as party’s national president) is likely to take place next month when the LJP will hold a massive rally on completion of 19 years of its formation. The LJP came into being on November 28, 2000, when Paswan split from the Janata Dal and formed his own outfit.</p>.<p>Since then, he has been consecutively elected national president of his pocket organisation. However, with the increasing age and responsibility, the senior Paswan, who has been an MP since 1977, has decided, in principle, to anoint his only son Chirag as the new LJP chief. Chirag is currently the chairman of the LJP Parliamentary Board and had last week reconstituted the LJP’s Bihar unit.</p>.<p>Chirag, on the eve of Diwali, appointed his cousin Prince Raj the president of the Bihar LJP. Prince is the son of former parliamentarian Ram Chandra Paswan, younger brother of Ram Vilas Paswan. Ram Chandra’s untimely demise last month had necessitated the by-election to the Samastipur parliamentary constituency from where Prince retained his father’s Lok Sabha seat defeating Congress’ Ashok Ram in the bypoll held on October 21.</p>.<p>“It’s a well-settled issue where senior Paswan remains busy as Union Minister while his son Chirag looks after the party affairs. During the LJP’s November 2019 rally, the formal coronation of Chirag as party's national president is likely to take place,” a source close to Paswan told <em>DH</em> here on Monday. </p>
<p>The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), a key NDA ally, is heading towards a generational shift. Its national president and Union Minister in Narendra Modi Cabinet, Ram Vilas Paswan, is likely to pass on the baton to his son Chirag Paswan, a two-term Lok Sabha MP from Bihar’s Naxal-infested Jamui.</p>.<p>The formal announcement and coronation of Chirag (as party’s national president) is likely to take place next month when the LJP will hold a massive rally on completion of 19 years of its formation. The LJP came into being on November 28, 2000, when Paswan split from the Janata Dal and formed his own outfit.</p>.<p>Since then, he has been consecutively elected national president of his pocket organisation. However, with the increasing age and responsibility, the senior Paswan, who has been an MP since 1977, has decided, in principle, to anoint his only son Chirag as the new LJP chief. Chirag is currently the chairman of the LJP Parliamentary Board and had last week reconstituted the LJP’s Bihar unit.</p>.<p>Chirag, on the eve of Diwali, appointed his cousin Prince Raj the president of the Bihar LJP. Prince is the son of former parliamentarian Ram Chandra Paswan, younger brother of Ram Vilas Paswan. Ram Chandra’s untimely demise last month had necessitated the by-election to the Samastipur parliamentary constituency from where Prince retained his father’s Lok Sabha seat defeating Congress’ Ashok Ram in the bypoll held on October 21.</p>.<p>“It’s a well-settled issue where senior Paswan remains busy as Union Minister while his son Chirag looks after the party affairs. During the LJP’s November 2019 rally, the formal coronation of Chirag as party's national president is likely to take place,” a source close to Paswan told <em>DH</em> here on Monday. </p>
