Nitish Kumar takes a swipe at Chirag Paswan, BJP

The Chief Minister’s comments came after Chirag Paswan announced that he will campaign for BJP in Assembly bypolls in two seats in Bihar

A day after Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan announced that he would campaign for BJP candidates in the Assembly bypolls in two seats in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said he (Mr. Paswan) had been a child and he (Mr. Kumar) had given his father the late Ram Vilas Paswan “so much of respect and support”.

Earlier on October 29, Mr. Paswan, after reaching Patna for the Chhath festival, had announced he would be campaigning for the BJP candidates in Mokama and Gopalganj bypolls. On Monday, Mr. Paswan held a road show in Mokama in favour of BJP candidate Sonam Devi.

The bypolls are scheduled to be held on November 3 and the results will be announced on November 6. The BJP is contesting in the Mokama seat for the first time after several years. The bahubali (strongman) of the area Anant Singh has been winning the seat for the last four consecutive terms from different parties. He had won the seat once as an Independent as well. This time he has fielded his wife Neelam Devi after he was disqualified following his conviction in an arms case.

“He [Mr. Chirag Paswan] is a child…how much respect I’ve given to his father, not only respect but had even supported him in earlier days”, Mr. Kumar told media persons in Patna. On being asked about Mr. Paswan’s announcement to support the BJP candidates in the bypolls, the Chief Minister added, “He is already in the BJP so it’s good for him to go for campaigning in favour of BJP candidates.”

Mr. Kumar also recalled, “who had put up candidates on the LJP ticket against us in the last Assembly poll? It was BJP. When our partymen worked on it, this had come to light, so once again we came back to mahagathbandhan (grand alliance)”.

“ Ab isko badhawa dena hai [now, we’ve to promote him]”, Mr. Kumar said, pointing towards Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav who was standing beside him. Mr. Kumar added that he was not being able to go to both the constituencies for campaign as he was not well.

“But, while speaking to people from both the constituencies, I have got the feedback that the RJD candidates from both the constituencies are winning the election”, he said. “The way the BJP leaders are making comments on me, it appears their condition is not good [in both the seats]”, Mr. Kumar said. The Chief Minister expressed grief over several deaths in a bridge collapse in Gujarat.