PATNA: Former Lok Janshakti Party president Chirag Paswan on Sunday asserted that every party wants him to be on its side, indicating he could tilt towards the one that offered a better bargain.
Paswan, an NDA ally, has been getting feelers from the 'Mahagathbandhan', the opposition coalition in Bihar.
"I can see the posse of media persons here who are anxious to know whom Chirag Paswan is aligned with. I wish to tell them that Chirag Paswan is aligned only with the people of Bihar," said the young leader, who has often sworn by his loyalty towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi, likening him to Lord Ram and himself to Lord Hanuman.
"Every party, every coalition wants Chirag Paswan to be on its side," he said, adding that this was because people were enamoured with his "Bihar first Bihari first" vision that seeks to pull the state out of chronic backwardness.
In his speech, he made yet another attempt to project himself as true heir to his late father Ram Vilas Paswan, calling himself "sher ka beta".
He refrained from mentioning by name bete noires in the NDA, Nitish Kumar, the Bihar chief minister who heads the JD(U), and Union minister, uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras, who split the late leader's party.
The young leader, however, spoke at length about the "conspiracies" he had to face, "aimed at breaking my home, my family and my party, though I have demonstrated that Chirag Paswan cannot be cowed down".
The rally at Sahebanj under the Vaishali Lok Sabha seat, which the LJP won in the last two elections, is being seen as a fresh attempt by Paswan to claim his father's legacy, after having earlier declared that the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), a splinter group that he now heads, will contest Hajipur, which the late leader had represented several times.
Predictably, the nephew's offensive has not got down well with Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) headed by Paras, who is the sitting MP from Hajipur, and has made it clear that he will seek re-election from the seat.
RLJP spokesman Shravan Agrawal said, "There is no question of our giving up Hajipur or any of the other four seats our party holds. We are sure our claim will be honoured by the BJP as we are the NDA's natural allies. Why else are they (Chirag's party) getting an offer from the other side, but nobody dares to approach us with such enticements".
While no 'Mahagathbandhan' leader has said on record what was the "offer" made to Paswan, sources in the coalition, which includes the Congress, RJD and three Left parties, said he could be accommodated with "more than six seats".
“I have no lust for power, I am only committed only to the cause of Bihar and its people. I could not brook or bow down, but people forget that I am the son of a lion, son of Ram Vilas Paswan,” he remarked.
While indirectly attacking his uncle union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras, Chirag said that people engineered split in his house, family and party but he could not be cowed down. He also made a veiled attack on chief minister Nitish Kumar for the state`s backwardness despite remaining in power for all these years.
He also asserted that every alliance wanted him to take on board as people were impressed by his ‘Bihar First Bihari First’ vision, which had the objective of making Bihar a developed state by providing best facilities to the people.
Meanwhile, the Hajpur seat continues to be a bone of contention between Chirag and his uncle Paras, who is chief of Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP).
RLJP spokesman Shravan Agrawal contented that his party would not give up its claim on Hajipur seats at any cost.
“Our party has sitting MPs on all four seats, and we are confident BJP will respect our claim as we are NDA’s natural allies. Other alliance is approaching them (Chirag) but nobody can dare to offer us anything.”
Undivided LJP had fought on six seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha election and won all seats. Later after the death of Chirag`s father and union minister Ram Vilas
Paswan, Paras masterminded split in the party with five MPs deserting the party under his stewardship.
Paras was later also inducted into the union cabinet by the Narendra Modi government. On the other hand, Vaishali MP Veena Devi again returned to Chirag faction, and she shared the dais with him at Sahebganj.
Meanwhile, JD (U) chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar reacting sharply to Chirag's allegation on Bihar`s backwardness, asserted that it did not matter who was telling what about Bihar’s development.
“Not only NITI Aayog’s reports but Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J P Nadda have appreciated the state's growth under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar,” he added.