Chirag Paswan formally announces return to NDA

After nearly three-years of break from the BJP led National Democratic Alliance, Chirag Paswan announced his formal return to the coalition and that his party LJP (Ramvilas) will be contesting the next Lok Sabha elections in alliance with the BJP

After nearly three-years of break from the BJP led National Democratic Alliance, Chirag Paswan who heads the amputated faction of his father Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), announced his formal return to the coalition and that his party LJP (Ramvilas) will be contesting the next Lok Sabha elections in alliance with the BJP.

“We have taken a formal decision to join the NDA beause LJP (Ramvilas) and BJP are natural allies,” Mr. Paswan said. The announcement came just hours before NDA meeting. According to sources, Mr. Paswan who has had meetings with both BJP President J.P. Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah has successfully negotiated six seats that the united LJP had fought in 2019 Lok Sabha elections for his faction.

Mr. Paswan did not confirm this seat sharing formula, except for underlining that all his concerns have been “postively addressed”. One of the key concern was regarding the Hajipur seat, which he asserted, will be fought by LJP (Ram Vilas). His father won the seat seven times and his uncle Pashupati Paras, who heads the rival faction Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party currently holds the seat. This signals, BJP’s decision to sideline Mr. Paras in favour of his nephew Mr. Paswan.

He dismissed the questions on whether return to NDA also means the two warring camps of the Paswan clan will bury the hatchet. “It doesn’t matter to me who is there or not in the alliance. It is collective responsibility of all NDA consituents to work together for the success of the coalition,” he added.

Detailing the journey from Bihar Assembly election 2020, when the united LJP fought alone to returning under the NDA umbrella, Mr. Paswan said, that the 2020 decision was not against the BJP but was dictated by Nitish Kumar’s presence in the NDA.

He also blamed Mr. Kumar, of working against the LJP’s six candidates in 2019 elections including on his own Lok Sabha seat Jamui. And underlined that in 2014 the LJP had joined hands with the BJP, only after Mr. Kumar had already walked out of the NDA alliance. “Even ahead of the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections I had clarified that the decision to contest alone was not for my own personal interests. It was because, Mr. Kumar, had failed the state. Even after 75 years, the condition of my State is deplorable,” he added.

LJP return to the NDA, he said, is not only for the upcoming general elections but will continue for the next Assembly elections scheduled for 2025.