Turmoil outside LJP Bihar HQ; Chirag supporters deface rebels' posters

A factional feud within the Lok Janshakti Party played itself out on the streets of the Bihar capital on Tuesday when loyalists of Chirag Paswan stormed the party's state headquarters and vented spleen against the five MPs who had staged a political coup of sorts on the previous day.

The Wheeler Road office of the LJP, situated a few hundred yards from several vantage locations of the city, bore witness to posters and banners of its Lok Sabha members Pashupati Kumar Paras, Prince Raj, Veena Devi, Chandan Kumar and Mehboob Ali Kaisar being blackened and torn down by irate party workers who dubbed the rebels as "traitors".

Confusion seemed to prevail over who controls the party, on a day when Chirag, the national president, ordered disciplinary action against the five parliamentarians after they came out in revolt against him and got him removed as the leader of the party in the House.

"We are angry as we were stopped from entering the premises. It was locked from inside by those who have switched loyalty and joined the Pashupati Kumar Paras camp", said an angry Chirag loyalist who waited outside until occupants of the LJP office gave in and opened the gates for the visitors.

Also read: Turf war in LJP escalates as Chirag Paswan expels all five rebel MPs but loses position of party president

Paras, the youngest brother of the party's founding president Ram Vilas Paswan, had approached Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, armed with the support of other party MPs, with the request that he be recognized as the leader of the LJP.

He also expressed displeasure over his nephews seemingly untenable stance of opposing Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his JD(U) while claiming loyalty towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP and the NDA which the saffron party leads.

Read more: Chirag Paswan removed as LJP party chief

Police were called in to keep the situation under control at the LJP office where another Chirag loyalist fumed, "Paras seems to have grown too ambitious. If he was so keen on heading the party, he should have begged before our Sahib. He is magnanimous enough and would have allowed his uncle to fulfil his petty desire."

Besides Paras, other rebel MPs had similarly blamed Chirag for the turn of events, pointing out that the young president's brinkmanship in the assembly election had "harmed the NDA, of which we are a part".

Chirag, a second-term MP from Jamui, had begun to exhibit his dislike for the Bihar Chief Minister during the nationwide lockdown last year when he accused Nitish Kumar of not doing enough for migrants unlike his counterparts in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.

As assembly polls approached, and Paswan senior breathed his last, Chirag declared that he was going to take on the JD(U) boss claiming that the people of Bihar no longer wanted him as CM and that he was doing the same to help the BJP form its own government.

Also read: How Nitish avenged his drubbing by splitting LJP

Although there were speculations that the young LJP chief had the BJPs tacit backing, the saffron party and its top leaders found his antics too hot to handle and sought to distance themselves from his electoral stance and backed Nitish Kumar to the hilt.

Interestingly, outside the LJP office, slogans denouncing the Bihar Chief Minister also rent the air as loyalists of Chirag alleged that Paras and other rebels were acting at the behest of Nitish Kumar who is known for taking no prisoners and wanted to extract "revenge".

Tuesday's events at the LJP's headquarters here indicated that the factional fight would intensify in days to come and the situation may further turn ugly when Paras group is expected to organise a national meet at the office soon.