Chirag downplays BJP fielding Sushil Modi for seat won by Ram Vilas Paswan
Cold-shouldered by the BJP in theby-election to a Rajya Sabha seat in Bihar, LJP presidentChirag Paswan said on Saturday that it belonged to the saffronparty and it was free to take a decision about whom to field.
The seat had fallen vacant following the death ofChirag Paswans father and Lok Janshakti Party founder RamVilas Paswan. The BJP has nominated former Bihar deputy chiefminister Sushil Kumar Modi for the seat.
Sushil Modi is likely to win uncontested unless theopposition Grand Alliance fields a candidate to challenge him.
In that event, the polling will take place on December 14.
A union minister, Ram Vilas Paswan had got electedfrom the seat last year after it fell vacant following hiscabinet colleague Ravi Shankar Prasads election to the LokSabha from Patna Sahib.
“The seat belonged to the BJP and it is for the partyto decide which candidate from which party to field in theby-election,” the 37-year-old leader told reporters at afunction held to celebrate his partys 20th foundation day.
Chastened by the drubbing in the recent Biharelections, Chirag Paswan asked the party rank and file to gearup for the next assembly polls which could take place “anytime”.
He reiterated it in a letter addressed to LJP workersand shared with the media.
Responding to questions, Paswan maintained that he saw”fresh elections taking place any time in Bihar, given the waythe new government is functioning”.
In a written message to party workers, Paswan defendedhis decision to go solo in the assembly polls, saying, “We hadto make a choice between accepting the NDAs offer of only 15seats despite being a party with six members in the Lok Sabhaand one in the Rajya Sabha, or engage in a friendly fight topreserve our honour”.
In the one-page letter, Paswan refrained from makingany remark against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the JD(U) bosswhom he had targeted all through the elections and repeatedlyaccused of being unfair and brusque towards his late fatherwhile he was alive.
The letter contained no reference to the BJP or PrimeMinister Narendra Modi to whom Paswan has proclaimed loyaltydespite his steadfast support to Nitish Kumar.
The Jamui MP also deplored the heated exchangesbetween the chief minister and Leader of the OppositionTejashwi Yadav on the floor of the assembly on Friday and saidboth shared the blame for the unsavoury turn of events.
“I would not like to take sides in this matter. Fromboth sides many personal attacks were made. I do not think thediscourse in Bihar assembly has ever touched such depths,”said Paswan.
The LJP chief, under whose stewardship the partyfought more than half of the seats in the 243-strong assemblybut won only one, tried to perk up his supporters and askedthem to focus on the bright side.
“We could win only two seats in the previous assemblyelections even though we had contested as part of the NDA.
This time, we were alone, without an army of star campaignersto canvass in our favour. But we secured 28 lakh votes and nowour party is being talked about across the state,” Paswan saidin his letter.
“It was the dream of the LJP founder, my late father,to help the party come of its own. We have taken a step inthat direction. Lets keep marching,” Paswan, who took overthe party mantle from Paswan Sr a year ago, added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is auto-published from a syndicated feed.)
