The Lok Jan Shakti Party opened a front against its former NDA ally, JD(U), as it felt that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had humiliated Ram Vilas Paswan on many occasions and even ignored party's current chief Chirag Paswan.
Chirag had written a letter to BJP chief J.P. Nadda on September 24, detailing all the “humiliation” meted out to the LJP leaders by Nitish Kumar. The LJP on Thursday released the letter which details the reasons that led to the LJP walking out of the NDA alliance in Bihar, and deciding to contest against it.
The letter has been made public on the same day when the LJP released its first list of candidates in which it gave tickets to four senior BJP leaders, and even a former JD(U) minister. The allotment of tickets to BJP leaders Rameshwar Chaurasia, Rajendra Singh, Usha Vidhayarthi and Ravinder Yadav has further fuelled speculation that JD(U)'s loss could be BJP's gain. These BJP leaders will be contesting against the official JD(U) candidates, and if the former manages to win, they would strengthen the saffron party's hold in the state in the post-poll scenario.
Chaurasia was co-in-charge of BJP affairs in electorally important Uttar Pradesh where the party won a huge mandate in Lok Sabha electi0ns, and even elected Prime Minister Modi twice. Rajendra Singh is an old RSS hand, and was even a front runner for CNM's post during the 2015 elections when BJP and JD(U) contested elections separately. Vidhyarthi is a former BJP MLA.
The former JD(U) minister who has been given ticket is Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha.
Chirag's six-page letter to Nadda primarily lists the “humiliation” meted out to his father Ram Vilas Paswan when the latter was to be given a Rajya Sabha ticket.
“During the seat-sharing talks with the BJP and the JD(U), I was present, along with my father. It was in the presence of then BJP chief Amit Shah that it was decided that Ram Vilas ji would be given a Rajya Sabha ticket. But right before the nomination, Nitish Kumar refused to give his support for Ram Vilas ji.
“Ram Vilas ji was humiliated before the nomination, and was forced to visit the CM residence to ask for his support. Even during the meeting between the two, the CM's behaviour was not appropriate. Even during the nomination, Ram Vilas ji requested Nitish Kumar to accompany him, but he did not come. It was only after passing of the auspicious period of filing nomination, that the CM came,” Chirag wrote in his letter to Nadda.
Chirag said despite all this, he always followed the ‘alliance dharma’ and never spoke against Nitish. “I will narrate another incident to you. The CM was addressing a press conference, and when he was asked about Ram Vilas ji's health, he expressed his ignorance. This was surprising that he was not aware of my father's health. When the prime minister enquired about my father's health, and even when the vice president and speaker did, the chief minister did not,” he further wrote.
Chirag said these incidents had caused a lot of heartburn among the LJP supporters and they were angry against the CM.
Chirag added that when he wanted to meet the CM when he initiated his ‘Bihar First, and Bihari First’ campaign, the CM refused to meet him or even to talk to him. “When I requested him to include our legislator in his cabinet, the CM refused,” he said.
The LJP said there is an anti-incumbency wave in the state which could singe the other alliance partners. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi still enjoys huge popularity in the state and he can win the election for his party.
Chirag expressed his full faith and support to PM Modi and BJP, but added that he should be allowed to go separate ways if there was a trouble in the alliance.
The letter is likely to escalate further the enmity between the JD(U) and the LJP. Nitish Kumar, during the announcement of the seat-sharing with the BJP, had attacked Chirag, saying that they don’t know what made him go separate ways. Nitish Kumar said even Ram Vilas Paswan was elected to the Rajya Sabha with the help of the JD(U), and reminded Chirag that the LJP has merely two seats in the state.
