Amid the ongoing factional feud within the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), MP Pashupati Kumar Paras, who recently deposed nephew Chirag Paswan as the party chief, was declared elected, unopposed, the new national president of the outfit on Thursday.
Paras is the younger brother of LJP founder (late) Ram Vilas Paswan, who along with four other MPs revolted against the leadership of his nephew Chirag Paswan on Sunday.
"I have been given a big responsibility to take the party to the national level. I will work for the upliftment of poor people of all sections," he said after being elected as LJP's national president.
PATNA: At a meeting of party’s national working executive committee, Paras was elected unopposed by the MPs of his faction, along with other members of committee.
Replying to the media on what led him to revolt withing the party, Paras replied saying “when the nephew becomes a dictator, what will the uncle do".
He also said that whatever he did in the party against Chirag Paswan’s alleged dictatorship was carried out in a 'democrcatic way.'
On being asked as how can he hold two posts when he opposed his nephew Chirag for holding three positions in the party, Paras said, he "will resign from the post of leader of parliament the day I will become a union minister".
Paras made it clear that his ambition to become a minister in the union cabinet was one of the reasons behind the revolt against Chirag Paswan besides nurturing a grudge against his removal from the post of Bihar LJP president in 2019.
He also denied that there was any difference in the party after his revolt against Chirag Paswan’s leadership.
"There are no differences in the party. Had any difference been there, why should I have been elected unopposed? I have to take the party to the national level after it being brought on the verge of an end," he added.
The sources added that the former state minister was also scheduled to make a courtesy call on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar whom supporters of Chirag have been accusing of having engineered the split, which has left the son of LJP founding president late Ram Vilas Paswan cornered.
A couple of days ago, a national executive meeting of the party was held in Delhi where former MP Suraj Bhan Singh was made the working president and Chirag was removed from the post, though the latter has indicated he was bracing for a legal battle over the move.
(Inputs from PTI)