PATNA: Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief and Jamui MP Chirag Paswan has turned down the offer by his uncle and former Union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras to campaign for him in the Hajipur Lok Sabha constituency.
In response to a media query whether he would request his uncle to campaign in his favour in the Hajipur Lok Sabha constituency, Chirag cited Paras' 'hostile' approach towards him following his father Ram Vilas Paswan’s death.
“My uncle had decided to stop giving his blessings to me and tried to separate me from my family. Would he have behaved with me similarly if I was his own son,” he asked.
“My target is to ensure the NDA's victory in all 40 seats of the state and also make it certain that the alliance crosses the 400-mark in the Lok Sabha elections. I have to complete the unfinished work of my father and take Hajipur forward. My goal is ‘Bihar First Bihari First’ and I am moving forward in this direction,” the LJP (R) chief remarked.
By spurning the offer, Chirag has sent a veiled message to Paras that his father Paswan’s legacy and his strong bond with Hajipur are sufficient.
Through this, Chirag also made it clear that he was the sole inheritor of his father's political legacy. Earlier, Paras had claimed that he was the political heir of his brother Paswan as Chirag would only inherit property.
Chirag’s remarks on Paras, who is also the president of the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP), virtually eliminates the chance of any rapprochement between them at least in the near future.
With the BJP realising that Chirag has the backing of the lion's share of votes in the constituency, it is not much concerned whether the LJP (R) chief buries the hatchet with his uncle, remarked a senior BJP leader on the condition of anonymity.
