New Delhi: Clearing the air on the possibility of reconciliation of his party with that of his nephew Chirag Paswan, Union Minister and Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party chief Pashupati Kumar Paras on Saturday said “this is not the case”, news agency PTI reported. His remarks came amid speculations of his party joining hands with Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) after Paswan was seen touching his feet at the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting on July 18.
“During the NDA meeting, Chirag Paswan met me and touched my feet after which I gave him my blessings. After this, some reports claimed that we have joined hands again. However, I would like to clarify that this is not the case,” PTI quoted Paras as saying.
He further said that he would contest the Lok Sabha elections from Bihar's Hajipur seat. "I will contest from Hajipur itself, this is my right. I am an MP there, I am a cabinet minister in the Government of India and an old and trusted ally of the NDA," ANI quoted Paras as saying. This comes after Paswan claimed to fight the elections from the same seat.
Earlier this week, Chirag Paswan rejoined the NDA after meeting BJP national president JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
"Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan has decided to join NDA. I welcome him to the NDA family," BJP chief JP Nadda tweeted.
On Monday, Chirag Paswan met Home Minister Amit Shah amid talks with BJP over his party's share of Lok Sabha seats in Bihar for the 2024 general elections.
"Had a positive discussion with the country's Home Minister respected Shri Amit Shah in New Delhi," Paswan said in a tweet after the meeting.
It is to be noted that Chirag Paswan had left the NDA in Bihar in 2020 to fight against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United), who was then in alliance with BJP.
The LJP suffered a split following the death of supremo Ram Vilas Paswan. Chirag Paswan's uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras broke away a faction of the party and went on to become a Union Minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi-Cabinet.