Swords Drawn Between Chirag Paswan, Uncle Paras Over Hajipur Seat

PATNA: Union Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras on Saturday once again staked his claim on the Hajipur constituency and said that he will contest the next Lok Sabha polls from his late brother Ram Vilas Paswan's constituency. While talking to ANI, Pashupati Paras, rebuffed his nephew Chirag Paswan who earlier said that he is going to contest from the constituency. “I will contest from Hajipur itself, this is my right. I am an MP there, I am a cabinet minister in the Government of India and an old and trusted ally of the NDA (National Democratic Alliance),” Paras said.

In 2019, Pashupati Paras had won from Hajipur while Chirag emerged the winner from Jamui. However, the uncle-nephew fight shows no sign of relenting for close to three years. Pashupati Kumar Paras and Chirag Paswan first locked their horns over claiming the legacy of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) founder Ram Vilas Paswan.

Earlier on Tuesday, Chirag said that he will contest the next Lok Sabha polls in 2024 from the Hajipur constituency in Bihar. "I definitely say that I will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Hajipur only. It is not right to share the talks that took place with the BJP on a public platform but it is certain that Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will contest the Lok Sabha election from Hajipur," Chirag Paswan told ANI.

Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) was formed in October 2021 after the Election Commission allotted a separate symbol to Chirag Paswan's faction following his differences with his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras, who heads a separate faction. In the 2020 Bihar assembly elections, Chirag Paswan had walked out of the NDA, raising a rebellion against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

In the Bihar assembly elections 2020, the LJP managed to secure only 5.66 per cent vote share winning a single seat. The lone MLA who won under the LJP symbol soon switched sides to the JD(U). Paswan touched the feet of Paras and the two hugged each other. Paras, who heads Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP), underplayed the warmth saying they were on a political platform with nothing to do with their family.

“That was just courtesy. This is our courtesy that if someone touches the feet of any elder then the elder person gives the blessing in return. Especially in Bihar when somebody touches feet, the senior gives blessings. In the same way, when he (Chirag Paswan) touched my feet I gave my blessing to him. That was something personal and political issue is different,” said Pashupati Kumar Paras.