PATNA: The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Chirag Paswan on Sunday exhorted the workers of the party to strengthen the organisation at the grass roots level in the state.
Addressing the MPs, former MPs, former MLAs, members of the parliamentary board and senior functionaries of the party in the state capital on Sunday, Chirag asked them to be prepared to meet any eventuality. It was Chirag’s first interaction with the senior leaders of the party after a massive debacle in the state assembly election in which it finished with only one seat in the 243-member assembly. However it's sole MLA Raj Kumar Singh was conspicuous by his absence at the meeting chaired by the national president.
He also claimed that the Nitish Kumar government would collapse very soon. “The way the government is functioning these days, it's fall is imminent in the near future,” the Jamui MP said.
Assailing the state government for its failure to contain crime and corruption, the LJP chief alleged that Nitish Kumar was more concerned about his ‘chair’ than the people's problems. Without taking the name of the JD(U), Chirag said those who lost the election due to the LJP would return to his fold for electoral alliance.
He, however, said that the LJP was not at all worried about the electoral ties with the political combination. “Hame chinta karne ki koi jarurat nahi hai (We don't need to be worried),” he asserted.
He, however, preferred to keep silent on the party’s relationship with the BJP, which had recently invited him to the NDA constituents in New Delhi ahead of the budget session of the Parliament. Referring to the prohibition in the state, he alleged that youths were now turning into bootleggers due to lack of job opportunities. The issue of migration is not on the priority of the government, he added.
Responding to a query, Chirag said his party would contest the upcoming West Bengal assembly elections. “The West Bengal unit of the party has sent its recommendation for contesting the election to the central leadership of the party, which will take a final decision.” he said.
At the meeting, Chirag turned emotional while making referrences to his father and founder of the LJP late Ram Vilas Paswan. “He left me and the family when I was fighting the most crucial 'war' in my political career,” he added.