Midnight power mess in Bihar’s Lok Janshakti Party (LJP)
Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, June 14
Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) founder late Ram Vilas Paswan’s brother Pashupati Kumar Paras took over the command of the party by ousting nephew Chirag in a midnight political mess in Bihar.
While there is no immediate reaction from Chirag Paswan, his uncle and new president of the LJP Pashupati Kumar Paras on Monday claimed after death of its founder, Ram Vilas Paswan in October last year, the anti-social elements had taken control of the party.
Paras, who is younger brother of late Paswan said 99 per cent of the party workers and leaders were opposed to the style of functioning of Chirag and they were trying for the last six months to save the party from getting written off. He said he along with four other members of Lok Sabha have officially informed they were the real LJP and presented himself (Paras) as the new leader of parliamentary party in place of Chirag.
Paras said he has no objection in welcoming his nephew in the party under his (Paras) leadership. He regretted Chirag had ignored the advice of the party leaders and fielded LJP candidates in all constituencies in last year’s Bihar assembly elections, only one-Rajkumar Singh was successful and he also joined the JDU.
The new party chief contradicted Chirag and claimed Nitish Kumar was performing extremely well as Chief Minister. He is a mature political leader who cares for all.
Paras said LJP would remain a part of NDA as decided by the founder in 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
The vertical division in the party was being planned for the last six months, Paras admitted. Two senior JDU leaders Lallan Singh, MP and Maheshwar Hazari, Deputy Speaker of Bihar assembly were in constant touch with LJP leaders for a split minus Chirag who had been critical to Chief Minister. They were camping in New Delhi for final talks and two LJP MPs, who were in Patna, were summoned late last night to New Delhi.
Chief Minister himself was monitoring the negotiations between the JDU and LJP leaders. Paras was a minister in Nitish Kumar cabinet earlier.
This is for the second time since formation of LJP, major split took place in Paswan’s party. In February, 2005, 29 of LJP MLAs had deserted and joined Nitish Kumar under the leadership of Ramashraya Prasad Singh and Narendra Singh.
There is no representation of LJP either in assembly or council in Bihar and no member in Rajya Sabha. Ram Vilas Paswan was a member of Rajya Sabha and after his death BJP’s Sushil Kumar Modi was elected to fill up the vacancy caused by Ram Vilas Paswan’s death.
Chirag is elected to Lok Sabha from Hajipur which was earlier represented by his elder brother since 1977.
Political circles in JDU here confirmed the split in the LJP was provoked as union cabinet expansion was expected soon and LJP wanted its share in the ministry that went vacant after Ram Vilas Paswan’s demise.
