‘I am irresponsible’: Chirag Paswan talks to NDTV after BJP abandons uncle’s party

Chirag Paswan told NDTV that all NDA allies must bridge differences and prepare for Lok Sabha polls

New Delhi:

Days after the Bharatiya Janata Party took sides in the battle over late Ram Vilas Paswan’s legacy, his son Chirag Paswan told New Delhi TV that he will stand as the NDA candidate contested from Hajipur Lok Sabha seat in Bihar and he played no role in the election. The relationship between his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras and the BJP.

Mr Paswan, who leads the Ramvilas, has entered into a seat-sharing deal with the BJP under which his party will contest five parliamentary seats. The BJP will contest 17 of the 40 seats in Bihar, while the Nitish Kumar-led JDU will contest 16 seats. The other two seats are for the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha.

Mr Paswan said in an exclusive interview that he would contest from Hajipur, a prestigious seat as it had elected his father Ram Vilas Paswan seven times. When asked about the possibility of his uncle competing against him, Chirag Paswan replied: “He is welcome to participate. I am not afraid of a challenge.”

After Ram Vilas Paswan’s death in 2020, Chirag Paswan and Pashupati Kumar Paras got into The fight for the political legacy of Ram Vilas Paswan. This led to the split in the Lok Janshakti Party. Chirag Paswan’s faction was named Lok Janshakti Party (Ramvilas) and Mr. Paras controlled the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party. After the split, the BJP sided with Paras and made him a Union minister. The turnaround after nearly three years does not please him. He has resigned as a minister and withdrawn from the NDA. He also said that his party will contest from the Hajipur seat and is likely to join the opposition consisting of the RJD and the Congress.

Chirag Paswan hit out at Mr Paras, saying, “He once said that he will be with the NDA till his last breath. Will he now become an obstacle for the Prime Minister to achieve his goals? ?”

Paswan said he was busy with his own fight and was not concerned about the BJP’s relationship with its allies. “I’m not responsible for what happened to him (Paras). I’m not in the picture,” he said.

The 41-year-old leader said his uncle had made numerous personal accusations against him. “I never said a word against him,” he said, adding that it was Mr Paras who decided to part ways with his family and party.

“I don’t know when we became estranged. I agreed with him taking over the leadership of the party. I just wanted the party and the family to remain united. He never considered me his son,” he said.

Mr. Paswan said his only goal was to fulfill his father’s dream. “Now that he’s gone, it’s my responsibility.”

With caste a key factor in Bihar’s electoral landscape, the Paswan community, which accounts for 6% of the state’s electorate, is high on the BJP’s priority list as it aims to win 370 Lok Sabha seats. After a long balancing act between factions led by Mr Paswan and Mr Paras, the BJP ultimately sided with the former. However, this decision is not without its drawbacks. There is no love lost between Chirag Paswan and Nitish Kumar and the BJP knows it has a tightrope to walk ahead of it.

Chirag Paswan said all NDA allies should bridge their differences and focus on major battles ahead. He said the BJP-led alliance had more strength compared to the Opposition bloc. “The Lok Sabha elections are a milestone. We will fight together and form the government in the Assembly elections as well.”

Paswan said he entered politics to fight for the self-respect of Bihari people. “People of Bihar are insulted in other states. I joined politics to change this. Bihar politics will be my first priority,” he said.

Regarding RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, another prominent young leader and rival, Mr Paswan said, “We are fighting our own battles. Let us see who the people trust, “He said.