Uncle vs nephew: Pashupati Paras talks tough after Chirag’s seat-sharing deal with BJP

NEW DELHI: There could be trouble brewing for BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in Bihar. Days after Chirag Paswan announced seat-sharing deal with the BJP for Lok Sabha elections in state, his estranged uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras, who is a Union minister, hardened his stand and sounded a discordant note.
“Justice has not been done to our party. Until the list of NDA Alliance in Bihar is published, we will wait.I also urge BJP’s central leadership to reconsider. The formula should have been to field the sitting MPs. Three MPs of Paswan community have been denied tickets. This is sending a wrong message across the country,” Pashupati Paras said on Friday.
Pashupati Paras announced that he will contest Lok Sabha elections from Hajipur, a seat represented by him at present but sought by his nephew Chirag on the grounds that his father Late Ram Vilas Paswan had represented the seat in Lok Sabha 8 times.
“All the three party MPs will contest from their respective seats,” Paras asserted hinting at possible rebellion if the NDA did not consider his demands.
Both Pashupati Kumar Paras and Chirag Paswan are part of NDA and head separate factions of Lok Janshakti Party, which was founded by Late Ram Vilas Paswan. Pashupati Kumar Paras, who is Ram Vilas Paswan’s brother, and four other LJP MPs had rebelled against Chirag’s leadership after Paswan’s death and had walked out of the party.
On Wednesday, Chirag Paswan had announced that his party had finalised seat-sharing agreement with the BJP and had thanked BJP chief JP Nadda for addressing his concerns. Chirag had also thanked Prime Minister Modi for protecting him within the alliance.
In fact, Chirag Paswan also has strained relations with Bihar chief minister and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar. The two have openly targeted each other several times in the last 5 years. Nitish had held Chirag responsible for the defeat of his candidates in the last assembly elections. Chirag had walked out of the NDA alliance over seat sharing and had later fielded candidates against JD(U) nominees. Nitish Kumar’s party was reduced to 43 seats in the 243-member assembly and for the first time JD(U) became the junior partner of the BJP.
While Chirag targeted Nitish, all along he heaped praise on PM Modi calling himself the Prime Minister’s Hanuman.
Bihar BJP leaders expressed confidence that the matter will be resolved and Paras will agree to the coalition’s decisions.
Bihar minister Prem Kumar said, “Everyone will be together. All efforts are being made to bring Pashupati Kumar Paras with us. We will be together under NDA.I think his resentment will go away. We will go ahead and contest elections together.”
However, this may not be as easy as it sounds. The BJP may have a tough time balancing between this LJP vs LJP fight in Bihar.