LJP's Chirag Paswan to join hands with 'brother' Tejashwi's RJD amid silence from BJP?

Miffed with BJP over silence on the ongoing conflict in Lok Jan Shakti Party (LJP), former party chief Chirag Paswan on Saturday reacted to the invitation of Tejashwi Yadav to enter into a coalition with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Reminiscing the close bond that his father Ram Vilas Paswan shared with Tejashwi's father Lalu Prasad, Chirag assured Tejashwi, who he referred to as his 'younger brother', that a decision on the coalition with the party will be taken before elections in the state. 

“My father (Ram Vilas Paswan) and Lalu Ji (Tejashwi’s father) have always been close friends. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and I know each other since childhood, we’d a close friendship, he is my younger brother. When election time will come in Bihar then the party will take a final call on the alliance,” said Chirag. 

'Expecting my Ram (PM Modi) not to sit silent': Chirag Paswan

The statement of Chirag comes after he questioned the Prime Minister Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party's silence over his ongoing dispute with uncle Pashupati Paras. Calling himself 'Hanuman', he said, "I am expecting my Ram (PM Modi) not to sit silent." He added, "From the time of 'Satyug' till today, it was seen in Ramayana that Hanuman supported Lord Ram at every step. Hanuman walked with Lord Ram at every step and in the same way, at every step his party LJP has stood with PM Modi on every small and big decision."

Having used the comparison, Chirag Paswan added that 'at the hour of crisis that has come upon the LJP, it is expected that the saffron party would intervene and try to resolve the matter somehow.' He, however, claimed that 'the silence of the BJP has certainly made me sad'. 

Chirag also took the opportunity to give it back to JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar. "I would like to ask Nitish, please ask your own MLAs about my popularity, who helped in forming your government," he said in response to the Chief Minister's statement in which he had claimed that the now-ousted LJP chief was dragging his name in the controversy for 'publicity'.

He had earlier claimed that Nitish was behind the split in the party. He had said, "This is not the first time that the CM tried to create a split in our party. It has been his style of functioning. In 2005, when 29 of our MLAs had won, Nitish Kumar had broken our party. He did the same thing of breaking one of our MLAs who won the assembly election in 2020. It has been their tradition to break, Then with what face is he saying that he does not have a role."

On June 13, Paras, the younger brother of LJP founder Ram Vilas Paswan was recognized as the leader of LJP in Lok Sabha in place of Chirag Paswan after the five of six-party MPs gave a letter in his support. The Speaker accepted Paras as the floor leader of the LJP in the lower house. 

(Credit-PTI)