Lok Janshakti Party chief Chirag Paswan said he had shared his problems about “ideological differences” with the Janata Dal (United) to the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership, especially Amit Shah, before deciding to walk out of the alliance with the ruling party in Bihar, NDTV reported on Thursday. Paswan said that Shah had remained “quiet”.

The Lok Janshakti Party had walked out of the National Grand Alliance over “ideological differences” with Janata Dal (United) on October 4, but said it would remain a “strong partner” of the BJP and fight against Nitish Kumar. Chirag Paswan’s LJP is a member of the NDA at the Centre and his father Ram Vilas Paswan was a Union Minister till his death on October 8.

Chirag Paswan said he met Shah and BJP chief Jagat Prakash Nadda before deciding to go solo in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections and putting up candidates against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led JD(U). “I met him [Amit Shah] once and told him it won’t be possible for him to incorporate me in seat sharing, but would it be possible for him to include my agenda of Bihar First, Bihari First, in NDA [National Democratic Alliance] agenda,” Paswan said. “I said: if not, allow me to put up my candidates against JDU.” The LJP chief claimed that the Union home minister did not say anything and just listened.

On the BJP’s claims that he would not have made the decision to walk out of the alliance had his father Ram Vilas Paswan been around, the LJP chief said that it was his father who told him to contest alone. “This was one of his biggest dreams...that the party should contest alone,” said Chirag Paswan. “He actually used to instigate me and tell me that in 2005, I [Ram Vilas Paswan] took the decision and I could do that and you are young, why are you not taking the decision.”

Ram Vilas Paswan, who founded the LJP, died on October 8 after undergoing a heart surgery on October 4. Chirag Paswan had made the decision to contest alone when his father was alive but not active in politics.

Chirag Paswan added that many BJP leaders such as Minister of State Nityanand Rai, spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain and Ram Kripal Yadav had spoken to his father in the past few months and knew about his wish.

“He was very clear on his thought. He told me very categorically, if today, because of you, the current chief minister continues to be CM for the next five years, you will be regretting it 10 to 15 years down the line that because of you, the state will suffer for five more years.”

— Lok Janshakti Party chief Chirag Paswan

A day after quitting the alliance on October 4, Chirag Paswan had penned an open letter asking people “not to waste even a single vote” on a JD(U) candidate.

“Every vote going to the JD(U) candidate will compel your children to migrate from the state,” Paswan wrote. “It is a do-or-die battle for 12 crore Bihar people, and we have nothing to lose. I know the way forward for the LJP is not going to be easy, but then it has not been easy for the people of Bihar for the last three decades either.” Paswan had also denied claims that the decision was to fulfill his own political ambitions and added that he never had any faith in Nitish Kumar’s leadership.

The Janata Dal (United) had criticised the Lok Janshakti Party’s move as “overambitious, misplaced” and “a suicidal act”.

Elections in Bihar will be held in three phases between October 28 and November 7. The results will be out on November 10. This is the first election to be held in the country during the coronavirus pandemic. The Bihar Assembly has 243 seats, of which 38 are reserved for Scheduled Castes and two for Scheduled Tribes.