Soon after joining a common alliance platform — the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) — Chirag Paswan and his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras have seemingly decided to bury the hatchet till the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. According to BJP sources, both Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief, Chirag Paswan, and president of the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party, Pashupati Paras, are likely to contest elections.
The sources said that efforts were on to resolve the differences between the two. However, Paras has said that there is no question of a truce with his nephew, Chirag Paswan. According to the Hindu, BJP leader and MoS (Home) Nityanand Rai tried to broker a peace deal between the two. Paras said that the rift was a compulsion for him. He said that his elder brother Ram Vilas Paswan had chosen him to be his political successor and not Chirag Paswan.
The current bone of contention between the two Paswan family politicians is the Hajipur seat. While Chirag Paswan announced earlier this month that he would contest the seat, Pashupati Paras is in no mood to back off. He was quoted as saying by The Hindu: "He is an MP from Jamui because Ram Vilasji chose that seat for him. If he decides to contest my seat, it would mean disobeying his father. Why should I leave my seat for him?"
What Led To The Split In LJP?
Chirag Paswan and Pashupati Kumar Paras are both prominent politicians from Bihar, India. The reason behind their strained relationship is primarily the internal power struggle within the erstwhile Lok Janshakti Party founded by Ram Vilas Paswan. However, after his death in October 2020, his son Chirag and his brother Pashupati sought to control the party. The differences eventually led to the split of the party in two — the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party led by Pashupati Kumar Paras and the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) led by Chirag Paswan. Both factions are now part of the NDA.