Last Updated: February 02, 2024, 09:08 IST
Nitish Kumar and Chirag Paswan have had an acrimonious relationship since the last Bihar assembly elections when Kumar had blamed Paswan’s party for hurting the JDU’s chances and bringing down the party’s tally to just 43 seats. (PTI)
News18 has learnt that Paswan has advised the BJP leadership to insist upon Kumar giving up some of his Lok Sabha seats this time, in case BJP wants to contest more than 17 seats or accommodate the other allies like Upendra Kushwaha and Jitin Ram Manjhi
Chirag Paswan’s uneasiness with Nitish Kumar is still an unresolved issue in the new alliance that has formed in Bihar, with Paswan insistent on his party fighting on the six Lok Sabha seats in the state that it had won in 2019.
News18 has learnt that Paswan of LJP has advised the BJP leadership to insist upon Kumar sacrificing some of his Lok Sabha seats this time, in case BJP wants to contest more than 17 seats or accommodate the other allies like Upendra Kushwaha and Jitin Ram Manjhi. In 2019, the BJP fought on 17 seats, Kumar on 17 seats and the LJP on six seats in Bihar which has 40 Lok Sabha seats. Despite the BJP having 22 MPs then, it sacrificed five of its MP seats to accommodate Kumar.
“This time, Chirag Paswan has advised BJP that Nitish Kumar should show magnanimity and sacrifice some of his 17 MP seats. LJP is clear that its alliance is with the BJP and wants to contest at least six seats. If Kumar does not come on board, LJP is prepared to contest on 23 seats in Bihar as BJP has 17 sitting MPs,” a source aware of the developments told News18. Chirag Paswan had met Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda before Kumar came on board. Paswan had also travelled with Nadda to Patna for the swearing-in.
Kumar and Paswan have had an acrimonious relationship since the last Bihar assembly elections when Kumar had blamed Paswan’s party for hurting the JDU’s chances and bringing down the party’s tally to just 43 seats. LJP then contested 137 seats in Bihar assembly polls and could win just one, but cut into JDU’s votes on many seats. Kumar later walked out of the NDA alliance in 2022 and accused the BJP of backing Paswan in the 2020 elections. Paswan termed himself as the ‘Hanuman’ of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Even post the swearing-in of Nitish Kumar in Patna this week, while Paswan had touched the feet of Kumar, he stated that his ideological opposition to Kumar would continue.
Paswan also remarked then that it was strange to see Kumar repeatedly make political summersaults. Paswan has been a vehement critic of Kumar’s policies in Bihar. Another issue is that Paswan wants to contest from Hajipur, the seat of his late father Ram Vilas Paswan, which is currently held by his uncle and Union minister Pashupati Nath Paras.
