Tag: Chirag Paswan

  • Chirag continues tirade against Nitish, dodges queries about prospects at Centre

    By PTI
    PATNA: Lok Janshakti Party chief Chirag Paswan on Tuesday dodged queries about the likelihood of his joining the Union council of ministers, in which his party has been left with no representation following the death of his father Ram Vilas Paswan.

    Paswan, however, remarked tongue in cheek that the government at the Centre was doing fine and it was the Bihar cabinet headed by Nitish Kumar where ministers were saddled with too many portfolios and an expansion was much needed.

    The LJP chief was talking to reporters upon his visit to the state after a long time.

    His father, who had founded the party two decades ago, died in October last year and in the ensuing by-election to his Rajya Sabha seat, the BJP chose to field its veteran leader and former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi.

    Paswan had said that the seat, though held by his father, “belonged to the BJP” to which he professes to remain loyal despite having pulled out of the NDA ahead of the assembly elections last year.

    His party had claimed that the young leader was expecting a berth in the Union council of ministers since the party’s rebellion had damaged Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) but helped the BJP emerge as the “big brother” in the NDA in Bihar.

    On Monday, Kumar had hinted that expansion of the new cabinet, which was formed in November, was likely in near future.

    His remark came a day after he met top leaders of the state BJP at his official residence where differences arising out of contesting claims by alliance partners have supposedly been ironed out.

    Nonetheless, Paswan squarely blamed Kumar for the delay in cabinet expansion and alleged that the chief minister has of late been too busy with the affairs of his party which has undergone a major overhaul.

    Kumar himself relinquished the post of the national president, more than a year before the end of his tenure, and got his close aide RCP Singh appointed in his place.

    A couple of weeks later, veteran socialist leader and Rajya Sabha MP Vashishtha Narayan Singh also expressed the desire to step down citing old age and unstable health.

    Former MLA Umesh Kushwaha was appointed to the post.

    The developments have been seen as an attempt by Kumar to consolidate his support base among the Kurmi-Koeri-Kushwaha caste combine, known as “Luv-Kush” in Bihari political lexicon, in a bid to retain sufficient bargaining power while negotiating with the BJP which appears to have gained an upper hand.

    Paswan, who has in less than a year emerged as one of the most virulent detractors of Kumar, however, charged that all this showed that “the party, and not the state, is the top priority for our chief minister”.

    “This is happening at a time when law and order is in a mess and the chief minister holds the Home portfolio.

    Even well-heeled, well-connected people are being murdered,” Paswan said in an apparent reference to the recent killing of Rupesh Kumar Singh, a senior official of a private airline, which has triggered shock waves in Patna and outrage among political figures many of whom he was said to be friends with.

    The LJP chief, however, said, “We have made it clear that we will not be doing anything drastic till this new government completes six months. Thereafter, taking into account its achievements and failures, we will launch our programme”.

  • PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav, Chirag Paswan urge people of Bihar to cast vote

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday urged voters to exercise their electoral rights as polling for the first phase of Bihar Assembly polls is underway.

    “Today is the first round of voting in Bihar assembly elections. I urge all voters to ensure their participation in this festival of democracy, taking precautions related to Covid. Maintain 6-feet distance and wear a mask. Remember first vote, then refreshment!” Modi tweeted.

    Voting began on 71 constituencies spread across 16 districts in the first phase of Bihar Assembly elections on Wednesday at 7 am.

    As many as 1,066 candidates are in the fray including 42 from Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), 35 from Janata Dal (United), 29 from BJP, 21 from Congress and 8 from Left parties.

    Bihar is witnessing a triangular contest with the ruling JDU-BJP alliance and grand alliance (RJD, Congress and others) and Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), which is eying the role of a kingmaker in case of a hung Assembly.

    On one side is the NDA which includes JD-U (contesting 115 seats), BJP (110 seats), Vikassheel Insaan Party (11 seats) and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (7 seats).

    Mahagathbandhan which picked Tejashwi Yadav as chief ministerial candidate constitutes RJD (144 seats) and the Congress with 70 seats. Other alliance partners include the CPI-ML (19 seats), CPI (6 seats), and the CPIM (4 seats).

  • I am PM Modi’s Hanuman, says LJP chief Chirag Paswan

     Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Chirag Paswan on Friday claimed that he is “Hanuman” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also said that he does not need to use PM Modi’s photos for his party’s campaign in the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar as ‘his prime minister resides in his heart’.

    “I don’t need to use PM Modi’s photos for campaigning. He lives in my heart, I am his Hanuman. If needed, I’ll tear open my chest and show it,” LJP chief Chirag Paswan said

    Paswan, whose party is contesting polls outside the NDA in Bihar, also said that the next government in Bihar will be formed with BJP leader as Chief Minister and LJP will be part of it.

    “I have full faith on the Prime Minister and I have confidence that after November 10, BJP and LJP will form a government together in Bihar,” he added.

    “Even if they include my criticism in PM Modi’s speeches in the upcoming rallies in the state then also I will not mind that. But I reaffirm that on November 10, I will make a BJP leader as the Chief Minister of Bihar and LJP would be part of the government. I will never put candidates against any BJP candidate in the assembly elections,”
    Paswan told media persons.

  • Ram Vilas Paswan: PM Modi, JP Nadda and other leaders pay last tributes to Union Minister at his residence

    President Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president JP Nadda and other leaders paid their last respects to Union Minister and LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan at the latter’s residence.

    The mortal remains of Union Minister and Lok Janashakti Party (LJP) leader Ram Vilas Paswan were taken to his residence here from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi on Friday.

    As a mark of respect to Cabinet Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, who passed away on Thursday, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced that the National flag will be flown at half-mast on Friday in the national capital and capitals of all States and Union Territories (UTs) where it is regularly flown, and also on the day of the funeral at the place where the funeral will take place.

    According to the MHA, it has also been decided that state funeral will be accorded to Paswan.

    Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) founder Ram Vilas Paswan passed away at the age of 74 on Thursday. His Son Chirag Paswan broke the news on his Twitter handle. Paswan recently underwent heart surgery in Delhi. He has served as the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution in central government.