Bihar: Chirag-Pashupati feud spells trouble for NDA as MPs dial Nitish Kumar

The internal feud within the LJP has put the BJP and the NDA in a tricky position as no compromise has arrived between Union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras and his nephew Chirag Paswan over the Lok Sabha seat of Hajipur which was earlier represented by the latter’s father Ram Vilas Paswan.

“This is a family issue and not a political one. The differences are because of family issues. Some of the senior leaders of the BJP, including Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda, have discussed this issue. They have suggested solving it. We have always maintained that we should be allowed to contest from all the five sitting seats in the general elections,” said a senior LJP leader loyal to Paras.

Fight over Ram Vilas Paswan’s legacy

The clash between Paras and Chirag started just after the demise of Paswan in October 2020. The tussle started over Paswan’s political legacy and who among the duo would inherit it. The Paswan community is significant in Bihar politics because the community controls five per cent of the votes across several Lok Sabha and legislative assembly seats.

The Hajipur Lok Sabha seat has become the bone of contention between the nephew-uncle duo as Chirag wants to contest from his father’s seat in the 2024 General Elections, while those close to Paras claim that Paswan had entrusted his brother with the constituency.

“We have conveyed our decision to the BJP that Chirag is an MP from Jamui constituency. He has contested the seat twice. So, it is only fair to not change the constituency,” the LJP leader added.

Uncertainty within LJP

 The family feud has given birth to uncertainties within the party ranks, triggering speculations of possible desertions by some of the MPs. The speculations started after senior party leader, Mehboob Ali Kaiser, recently met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Although Kaiser clarified that he met Kumar to discuss the development work in his constituency, senior leaders of the Mahagathbandhan or Grand Alliance, said that more LJP members may meet the Bihar chief minister in the coming days.

Sources say it was Kumar who had orchestrated Paras’ rebellion against Chirag’s leadership in June 2021. Sources say during the rebellion, when five of the six LJP MPs extended support to Paras, Kumar had met one of the MPs, Veena Devi, at her residence in Patna.

“The problem within the LJP is that of the six MPs in the Lok Sabha, three are family members and three are senior leaders of the party. It is because of the confusion within the LJP that people fear about their future in the party and also fear whether they will get an opportunity to contest Lok Sabha again or not. If some of the MPs shift their allegiance towards the Opposition alliance, it will be a setback for the BJP-NDA alliance,” said a senior JD (U) leader.

Seat-sharing conundrum

With the party divided into two factions now, one led by Chirag and another led by Paras, the latter has told the BJP leadership to ensure that share of seats (Bihar has 40 Lok Sabha constituencies) assigned to Chirag’s faction for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections be different from the five seats held by MPs supporting Paras.

“We have conveyed to the BJP that since Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is no longer with the NDA, we have no problems if Chirag gets some seats from the list of seats that were contested by JD(U) last time. There are so many seats, he can choose any of them,” the LJP leader added.

What is scaring Paras loyalists?

With Chirag determined to contest from the Hajipur constituency, currently held by Paras, and the Paras faction adamant on contesting from the five constituencies held by loyal MPs, it is not known how alliance partner BJP would divide the seats between the two. The uncertainty has raised apprehension among a few sitting MPs backing Paras who fear they may not get a ticket if Chirag gets an upper hand.

“The sitting LJP leaders are looking for options because they fear that if Chirag gets an opportunity to decide, then they may not get an opportunity to contest on the LJP ticket in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The situation within LJP is fluid,” said a senior leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal who is in the know of development.

Political analysts believe it is natural for political leaders to be wary because of the confusion within the LJP, which is why they are exploring the possibility of joining the Grand Alliance.

“The success of the LJP and its factions depends on the political success of the BJP and the NDA in Bihar. If BJP is able to do well and retain its seats, the momentum will also help the LJP win its seats. I do not think that shifting MPs will shift voters. LJP has a dedicated voter base in limited constituencies, so it may not shift if some leaders leave the party,” said Mohammed Sanjeer Alam, assistant professor at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS).