Chirag Paswan announces Bihar yatra, wants ‘big statue’ of Ram Vilas

The tussle for control of the Lok Janshakti Party is continuing and appears all set to reach the grassroots level of wooing the masses.

On Sunday, Chirag Paswan, son of LJP founder Ram Vilas Paswan, announced his faction would mark the late leader's birth anniversary on July 5 with a state-wide yatra. Ram Vilas Paswan died in October last year. Next month would mark his 75th birth anniversary.

The LJP has been in turmoil for over a week after five of its six MPs (Chirag being the sixth) ganged up against Chirag and expelled him from party positions. Chirag's faction responded with retaliatory expulsions, even though the Lok Sabha speaker had recognised the rival faction's claims.

Chirag was quoted by ANI as telling mediapersons on Sunday, "My father's birth anniversary falls on 5th July. My father and uncle are not with me anymore. So we've decided to take out an 'Aashirvaad Yatra' from 5th July from Hajipur. Yatra will pass through all districts of Bihar; we need more love and blessings from people."

Chirag spoke to mediapersons after meeting his supporters at the party's national executive. The meeting was held at his residence in Delhi. Chirag declared, "The members condemned and opposed the use of party's symbol and name by expelled members. It has also been demanded to confer Bharat Ratna upon Ram Vilas Paswan and install a big statue of him in Bihar."

Interestingly, the rival faction, headed by his uncle Pashupati Paras, had called for a meeting of the national executive ahead of the one called by Chirag on Sunday. Chirag Paswan had asserted that more than 90 per cent of the national executive members are with him.

ANI reported both Chirag Paswan and Paras have written to the Election Commission to seek rights to the use of the LJP symbol.