RLJP will remain in the NDA despite losing coveted Lok Sabha seat to rival LJP faction headed by Chirag Paswan

The Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party, led by Pashupati Kumar Paras, who is the current Hajipur MP, indicated that it will stay within the NDA

A day after Chirag Paswan, leader of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram-Vilas), finalised a seat-sharing arrangement with the BJP — which reportedly includes the coveted Hajipur seat once held by his father, the late Ram Vilas Paswan — the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party, led by his estranged uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras, who is the current Hajipur MP, indicated that it will stay within the NDA as well.

RLJP State president and Samastipur MP Prince Raj posted on X on Thursday, saying that the RLJP is an integral part of the NDA, asserting that the party considered Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decisions above everything else

On Wednesday, Mr. Paswan had posted a picture of his meeting with BJP president J.P. Nadda on social media, asserting that seat sharing had been finalised. This also implied that a truce has been reached between the two parties created by the LJP’s split after the senior Paswan’s demise, ending the long feud between uncle and nephew. According to sources, the BJP has agreed to give five Bihar Lok Sabha seats to Mr. Paswan, including the Hajipur seat.

Sources said that Mr. Raj has been offered a ministerial berth in the cabinet of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, while Mr. Paras may be accommodated as a Governor or Rajya Sabha MP.

“Our party is an integral part of the NDA. Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji is the leader of the country as well as ours and his decision is above everything for us,” Mr. Raj wrote, tagging Mr. Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP State president Samrat Choudhary, and Bihar BJP in-charge and national general secretary Vinod Tawde on his post.

In Delhi, Mr. Paras convened a meeting of RLJP MPs, after which RLJP spokesperson Shravan Kumar said that Mr. Paras had been authorised to take a final decision, asserting that the RLJP is part of the NDA and stands firmly with the Prime Minister, Mr. Shah and Mr. Nadda.

After settling the feud between the two factions of the erstwhile LJP, the BJP is also reaching out to other smaller allies such as the Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustani Awam Morcha-(Secular), and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM), led by former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha. Sources said that the BJP has offered one Lok Sabha seat each to both parties.