In a massive setback to Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) president Chirag Paswan, his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras was unanimously elected the party’s parliamentary leader in the Lok Sabha on Monday, 14 June.
Paras, a first-time MP from Hajipur, was promised a spot in the Union Cabinet by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and that reportedly sealed the deal, reported NDTV, citing sources.
“I am with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Nitish Kumar is a good leader and vikas purush (development man),” Paras reportedly said.
What Had Happened
Earlier, five of the six LJP MPs had revolted against Paswan and wrote to the House Speaker, asking to be identified as a separate group. The meeting was reportedly held on Sunday, according to news agency ANI.
It is believed that the rebels, led by Paras, wanted him to replace Paswan. The other four LJP MPs are Chandan Singh, Veena Devi, Mehboob Ali Kaiser, and Prince Raj.
The rebel MPs posed their confidence in Chief Minister Kumar, against whom Paswan had led a massive campaign during the recent Assembly elections.
Talking to ANI, Paras claimed he had ‘saved the party’ by fulfilling the desire of five MPs.
“There are six MPs in our party. It was the desire of five MPs to save our party. So, I've not broken the party, I've saved it. Chirag Paswan is my nephew as well as party's national president. I have no objections against him,” he said.
According to India Today, Paswan, who went to meet Paras at his residence, was made to wait for 20 minutes before being allowed inside.
Strained Ties Between Uncle and Nephew
According to reports, the uncle and nephew have barely been on talking terms.
“After the death of Ram Vilas Paswan, on 8 October 2020, some of the unilateral decisions taken by the party leadership pushed the LJP to the brink of extinction,” Paras told Hindustan Times.
Who is Chirag Paswan?
Chirag Paswan, son of late Ram Vilas Paswan, took over the party’s mantle following his father’s demise in 2020. He was made the face of the LJP in the Bihar elections 2020, after he decided to exit the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government and contest the polls alone.
Although the LJP won just one seat, it emerged as one of the most important players in the elections.
The LJP had won six seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Who is Pashupati Kumar Paras?
Pashupati Kumar Paras is the younger brother of the late LJP founder Ram Vilas Paswan and Chirag’s uncle.
Paras was elected to the 17th Lok Sabha in May 2019 and is an MP from Bihar's Hajipur constituency. He is also a five-time MLA from Alauli and president of LJP’s Bihar unit.
(With inputs from ANI, NDTV, Hindustan Times.)
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