LJP split: RJD offers Chirag Paswan to join party

PATNA: The opposition RJD on Monday offered Jamui MP Chirag Paswan to join RJD following a split in his LJP after his uncle and Hajipur MP Pashupati Kumar Paras became the leader of parliamentary party in the Lok Sabha with the support of the other four MPs.
Maner RJD MLA Bhai Virendra said his party would welcome Chirag if he wished to join the party in the wake of recent development in LJP.
Bhai Virendra said the two young leaders (Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and Chirag) would contribute to the all-round development of the state. "While Tejashwi will look after the affairs in Bihar, Chirag will take care of the party's political activities in Delhi," he opined.
Reacting to the split in LJP, RJD's Rajya Sabha member Manoj Jha alleged that the script was drafted at 1, Anney Marg, the official residence of chief minister Nitish Kumar.
He further alleged that Nitish seemed to have compromised both on "jameer and jameen". While he lost 'jameen' (support base) in the 2020 assembly polls, his action to cause split in political parties hinted at losing 'jameer' (ideology) as well, he added.
RJD spokesperson Shaktisingh Yadav, however, blamed both BJP and JD(U) for the split in LJP. Both money and power were used in the exercise, he said.
Yadav claimed that the soul of late Ram Vilas Paswan rested with Chirag and the suppoters of the departed leader would not spare the ruling NDA coalition in the state for causing a split in the party founded by him on November 28, 2000.
Sources in LJP said the party has suffered a serious setback for the first time ever since its inception in 2000.
Congress blamed JD(U) for the split in the LJP. Congress MLC Prem Chandra Mishra, in a statement, said why Nitish was so desperate to cause split in a political party in the state.
Earlier, over 200 LJP leaders and workers, including some functionaries such as Keshav Singh, had quit the party and joined JD(U).