Chirag Paswan clears path for his mother to contest Lok Sabha elections from Hajipur
text_fieldsChirag Paswan, the Chief of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), announced on Tuesday that he is preparing the way for his mother to run in the Lok Sabha election from Bihar's Hajipur constituency.
He emphasised that he doesn't want to let down the people of Jamui, his parliamentary constituency, and intends to secure a path for his mother to run in Hajipur while he continues to represent Jamui. He also confirmed that the LJP (Ram Vilas) will field candidates in both Hajipur and Jamui, reported ANI.
If his mother chooses not to contest from Hajipur, he will respect the decision made by the party's parliamentary board. The Lok Sabha elections are set to take place in 2024.
Ram Vilas Paswan, Chirag Paswan's father and the founder of LJP, previously represented the Hajipur constituency. However, after Ram Vilas's passing in 2020, inner conflicts led to the split of the LJP in 2021, resulting in the formation of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) (Ram Vilas) and Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP).
Chirag Paswan now leads the LJP, while Pasupati Kumar Paras, Ram Vilas Paswan's brother and a Union Minister, heads the RLJP. Both parties are part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) bloc, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Pasupati Kumar Paras has also been reiterating his claims on the Hajipur constituency, suggesting that Chirag Paswan should contest from the seat where the late Ram Vilas Paswan wanted him to run.
In 2019, Pashupati Paras won in Hajipur, while Chirag Paswan emerged victorious in Jamui. However, the family feud between the uncle and nephew has persisted for nearly three years. It initially revolved around the legacy of LJP founder Ram Vilas Paswan.
The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) was established in October 2021 after the Election Commission assigned a distinct symbol to Chirag Paswan's faction due to his disagreements with his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras, who leads a separate faction.
Chirag Paswan walked out of the NDA during the 2020 Bihar assembly elections, challenging Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. In the 2020 Bihar assembly elections, the LJP managed to secure only a 5.66% vote share, winning a single seat.