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BJP’s proximity to Chirag Paswan irks JD(U) in Bihar
The growing closeness of BJP leaders, who turned up in large numbers to attend Ram Vilas’s death anniversary event on Sunday has not gone well with the JD (U).
BJP’s proximity with the LJP (Chirag) group and its leaders openly saying that he is a part of the NDA has not gone down well with its alliance partner, the JD (U), which has made it clear that its return to NDA should be a collective decision.
The way LJP leader Chirag Paswan played a role in the Bihar assembly elections, it became clear that his entry into the NDA would be difficult. Along with JD (U), BJP leaders also kept their distance from him. But after the death anniversary of his father Ram Vilas Paswan, suddenly, a section of the BJP in Bihar seems to be reaching out to him.
After Bihar minister and BJP leader Neeraj Kumar Bablu raised the political heat by maintaining that Paswan is part of the NDA, BJP state president Sanjay Jaiswal also toed the same line but diplomatically.
“Things are absolutely clear. Those who are part of NDA are in front. Today LJP is a part of NDA and Pashupati Paras is our minister. It’s not about the individual here, it’s about the party. Today LJP is a part of NDA and parties do not belong to individuals. A party is a party and there is no compromise with the individual, there is a compromise with the party,” he said on Tuesday.
This was followed by a statement of Muzaffarpur BJP MP Ajay Nishad that he was welcome in the NDA. “He has a good support base and his return will definitely strengthen the NDA,” said Nishad on Wednesday.
The growing closeness of BJP leaders, who turned up in large numbers to attend Ram Vilas’s death anniversary event on Sunday has not gone well with the JD (U). “An accepted norm of the coalition should be followed. When we are part of the alliance, we will sail and sink together,” said JD (U) national principal general secretary, K C Tyagi. “How can we forget the damage done to our party by the LJP in assembly polls? Why is our alliance partner maintaining a soft corner?” asked Tyagi.
He, however, said that all is well within the NDA and maintained that is why the party (JD-U) is demanding a co-ordination committee to look into such issues. “Despite ideological differences, such statements should be avoided,” he said.
A top JD (U) functionary said that the senior BJP and NDA leaders had made it clear that anyone who does not accept Nitish Kumar’s face as the leader of Bihar NDA cannot be a part of NDA, hence Chirag Paswan’s LJP is not part of the NDA.
Political experts believe that the BJP does not want to totally alienate Chirag Paswan as his faction can take control of the party any time.
“The response that Chirag got during his Aashirwad Yatra is an eye opener for the BJP. The BJP knows that Ram Vilas Paswan’s vote bank will remain with him. And in case of any future break-up, he can be an asset for the BJP,” feels Gyandendra Yadav, associate professor of sociology, College of Commerce, Patna.
A senior NDA leader said that the BJP has started teasing the JD (U) after the party embarrassed the government on the Pegasus and caste census issue. The BJP countered this when PM Modi talked to Chirag and his family and sent a two page obituary letter also.
“The letter was a clear message to BJP leaders in the state that we cannot afford to ignore Chirag Paswan,” said a senior BJP leader.
The developments come after a split in the LJP in June and after a quick turn of events when Pashupati Paras was made a Union minister. The Lok Sabha Speaker was quick to give recognition to the Pashupati faction.
The Paswans are the most aggressive section of Dalits. Out of the 16 per cent Dalit population in the state, 5-6 per cent are Paswans, according to the 1931 Census data. Since 1999, the late Ram Vilas Paswan was able to swing the results in favour of whichever alliance he was a part of.
