Tensions between Pashupati Kumar Paras and his nephew Chirag Paswan have thrown a wrench into the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) efforts to secure seamless seat-sharing among Bihar’s National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies. Both factions are adamant about contesting the Hajipur (reserved) Lok Sabha constituency, refusing to yield ground, according to sources close to the matter.
In a bid to mediate the dispute, Bihar BJP leader Mangal Pandey and incumbent Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, accompanied by state party chief, met with party in-charge Vinod Tawde in Delhi on March 12. However, their efforts to reconcile the differences between Paras and Paswan have so far been futile, as per party insiders. “The party’s top leadership is engaging with alliance partners, and we anticipate finalizing the seat-sharing agreement soon,” stated Mr. Choudhary following the meeting with Mr. Tawde.
The feud traces back to the split within the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) in 2021, precipitated by a power struggle following the demise of Chirag Paswan’s father, Ram Vilas Paswan. The fissure led to the formation of two factions — the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party led by Pashupati Kumar Paras and the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) led by Chirag Paswan.
Despite being the Union Food Processing Industries Minister and the incumbent MP from Hajipur, a seat held by his late brother Ram Vilas Paswan, Pashupati Kumar Paras faces a challenge from Chirag Paswan, who currently represents the Jamui (reserved) constituency in Parliament.
Both contenders are vying for the legacy of Ram Vilas Paswan, with Chirag Paswan purportedly considering fielding his mother, Reena Paswan, from the Hajipur seat to challenge his uncle’s political dominance in Bihar.
The BJP’s attempts to broker a compromise reportedly involve offering six seats to Chirag Paswan, with a suggested split of three seats each between him and his uncle. However, both parties remain adamant about retaining the Hajipur seat, complicating the seat-sharing negotiations within the NDA.
Despite the deadlock, BJP leaders in Bihar maintain confidence in the NDA’s unity, emphasizing that the party’s leadership will soon announce the final seat-sharing arrangement. This time, the BJP must also consider the interests of other allies, including Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular).
Meanwhile, the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) insists on securing at least the 16 seats it won in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, further adding to the complexity of seat allocation negotiations.
With Bihar’s 40 Lok Sabha seats up for grabs, the BJP aims to contest 17 seats, leaving 13 for the JD(U) and distributing the remaining 10 among its other allies. The outcome of these negotiations will shape the electoral landscape as parties gear up for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
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