BJP leader warns Paras and Kushwaha against joining anti-NDA coalition

Former Union Minister and Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) chief Pashupati Kumar Paras addresses a press conference on his resignation as Union Minister after his party was denied any seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Bihar, in New Delhi.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Senior BJP leader and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha on March 19 asserted it would be “suicidal” for disgruntled allies Pashupati Kumar Paras and Upendra Kushwaha to align with the Opposition ‘Mahagathbandhan’.

Mr. Sinha made the averment reacting to the resignation, from the Union Cabinet, of Mr. Paras, and the absence of Mr. Kushwaha or any member of the latter’s party when the NDA announced the seat-sharing formula for Bihar on Monday.

“It is only the BJP which knows how to respect its allies. This has been realised by even Chief Minister Nitish Kumar,” said Mr. Sinha, who became a Deputy CM following the JD(U) chief’s return to NDA in January.

Rejecting the charge of Mr. Paras that ceding his Hajipur seat to estranged nephew Chirag Paswan was tantamount to “disrespect” on part of BJP, Mr. Sinha said, “We have great respect for Paras babu. A reason why for so many years he was kept in the Union Cabinet, which enabled him to rub shoulders with Prime Minister Narendra Modi”.

The BJP leader added “But, we must give every ally his due. The one [Chirag Pawan] who got nothing even after the death of his father, should also get something”. Notably, Mr. Paras had in 2021 split Lok Janshakti Party founded by the late leader and headed by Mr. Chirag, who was then left isolated as all other party MPs rallied behind the uncle.

Mr. Chirag has been given five seats, including Hajipur, currently held by Mr. Paras, which the late Paswan represented several times.

Although the BJP has said nothing specific about the Paras faction, it has made clear that it views Mr. Chirag as the true heir to his father and, therefore, its money is on the young leader.

Mr. Sinha also said, “We want the LJP to stay united, as one family, so that the whole of NDA is able to function like one family”.

The BJP leader was also asked about unease in Mr. Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha on getting only one seat, despite its previous avatar Rashtriya Lok Samata Party having won three in 2014, when it was an NDA partner.

Notably, Mr. Kushwaha had quit NDA ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, which he fought as a Mahagathbandhan ally. The Opposition coalition has been dropping hints that it would “welcome” Mr. Paras or any other NDA partner who chose to switch sides.

Mr. Sinha quipped “It will be suicidal for any party to align with them. The largest party in that coalition, the RJD, had failed to win a single seat in the last Lok Sabha polls”.

Meanwhile, the JD(U) also came out with a statement urging Mr. Paras not to align with the anti-NDA coalition.

“Paras may have taken a decision based on his own party’s needs. But he must keep in mind that the honour he received, by getting a Union Cabinet berth, is a debt the people of Bihar expect him to repay to Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” said JD(U) chief spokesman and MLC Neeraj Kumar.