Bihar CM hits back at Paswan for alleging his role in LJP split, calls it 'publicity'

After Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader Chirag Paswan alleged that Bihar Chief Minister played a "visible" role in spitting his party, Nitish Kumar on Tuesday clarified that he has no role in it. While stating that this is the internal matter of LJP, the Bihar CM said that Chirag Paswan speaks against him for "publicity". 

This statement by Bihar CM comes after Chirag Paswan said that he is hurt by the BJP's silence while he battles challenges from within his party. He said that his relations with the saffron party cannot remain "one-sided" and he will consider all possibilities about his future political steps if attempts to corner him continue. 

Chirag Paswan: 'BJP's silence hurts me'

Alleging that Nitish Kumar's party played a vital role in splitting LJP, Paswan said that the Bihar CM never wanted a Dalit leader to gain structure. The LJP leader further said Nitish had earlier also tried to weaken the party's founder and his father. 

While speaking during an interview with PTI, Paswan said that his father Ram Vilas Paswan and he always stood by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP like a "rock" but the saffron party was not there when he expected their intervention during these "difficult times". 

Underlining that he retains his faith in PM Modi, the LJP leader said, "But if you are cornered, pushed and forced to take a decision, then the party will consider all probabilities... The LJP will have to make a decision about its political future based on who stood by it and who did not."

To questions on whether the BJP reached out to him during the current crisis and speculation about its role in the split, he said it was not "appropriate" for the saffron party to keep mum while the JD(U) worked to "engineer" a split in the LJP. "I expected them (BJP) to mediate and try to sort whole things out. Their silence definitely hurts," he added. 

Nitish Kumar leaves for Delhi amid Cabinet reshuffle buzz

Amid the Cabinet reshuffle buzz, the Bihar Chief Minister on Tuesday left for the National Capital, Nitish Kumar said that this is his personal visit. He said, "I have come here for eye treatment. There is no plan of meeting PM Modi." Speaking about the speculated Cabinet reshuffle, Nitish Kumar said that it will depend on the Prime Minister how and when he does it. "We have no information regarding this," he added. 

Earlier this month, Pashupati Paras, the younger brother of LJP founder Ram Vilas Paswan was recognised as the leader of LJP in Lok Sabha in place of Chirag Paswan after five of the six-party MPs gave a letter in his support. The Speaker accepted Paras as the floor leader of the LJP in the lower house. In a revised list of floor leaders of parties on Monday, Paras was listed as the Lok Sabha LJP leader.

(Image: PTI, Twitter-@NitishKumar)