Trouble In Bihar NDA? Pashupati Paras Announces All RLJP MPs Will Seek Re-election After Chirag’s Deal With BJP

Even though the NDA is yet to announce the seat-sharing formula in Bihar, Union Minister and Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party president Pashupati Kumar Paras on Friday announced that five RLJP MPs will seek re-election from their respective seats in the state which sends 40 members to Parliament.

Paras also said he would again contest from Hajipur, a seat where his estranged nephew Chirag Paswan has been staking a claim since it was once the bastion of LJP founder and his father Ram Vilas Paswan.

The big partners in the NDA camp in Bihar– BJP and Janata Dal (U)– are yet to announce their candidates as the seat-sharing issue has not been finalised.

“I will contest (Lok Sabha election) from Hajipur. All of our sitting MPs will contest from their respective constituencies. This is our party’s decision,” Paras said.

Paras’s announcement comes days after LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan on Wednesday said his party has finalised a seat-sharing formula with the BJP for the Lok Sabha polls and that all his “concerns” were addressed.

“Division of Lok Sabha seats in Bihar among all NDA parties decided. It will soon be formally announced. All my concerns have been addressed by the BJP. I am satisfied,” Paswan had said.

However, Paras, the uncle of Chirag Paswan and leads the other faction of LJP, said “justice was not done to our party”.

“There are 5 MPs in our party. NDA alliance should have followed the ‘sitting-getting goal’. But justice was not done to our party. Until the list of NDA Alliance in Bihar is published, we will wait. I also urge their central leadership to reconsider… Three MPs of the Paswan community have been denied tickets…This is sending a wrong message…” he said.

When asked if he has had a discussion (for seat sharing) with RJD-Congress, Paras said, “We have not had any discussion with anyone if you are speaking about INDIA Alliance. No, never. We have not spoken with anyone.”

In 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the NDA won 39 out of 40 seats in Bihar.