BJP blames Chirag Paswan for split in LJP, hints at berth for Pashupati Kumar Paras in cabinet

PATNA: The BJP on Monday denied its role in engineering the split in the LJP parliamentary party saying it was its “internal matter”. However, it held the erstwhile LJP president Chirag Paswan solely responsible for the new development in his party.
At the same time, BJP strongly hinted that the Lok Sabha MP from Hajipur and new chief of the LJP parliamentary group, Pashupati Kumar Paras, could be inducted into the Union cabinet by PM Narendra Modi during the cabinet reshuffle to fill the berth that otherwise had fallen vacant last year due to the death of LJP founder Ram Vilas Paswan.
“Who all will be inducted into the Union cabinet is the prerogative of the PM, but during the 2019 parliamentary elections, LJP was part of the NDA. Its president Ram Vilas Paswan was in the Union cabinet by virtue of that,” state BJP spokesman Prem Ranjan Patel said on Monday.
“Paras could be made Union minister to fill the berth vacated following the death of Ram Vilas, since he is the true inheritor of his elder brother. Paras took care of the party and its workers in Bihar. Ram Vilas ji handled national politics,” Patel added.
He also said Jamui MP Chirag had annoyed the party’s rank and file last year during the state’s assembly elections, when he fielded his party’s candidates against the NDA partners, mainly JD(U), and on a few seats even against BJP. “The LJP rank and file wanted their party to remain in the NDA. Therefore, they felt cheated and were annoyed with Chirag for his decision,” Patel said.
Seemingly, the BJP appeared to be satisfied with the new developments in the LJP, leading to the eventual isolation of Chirag amounting to his being in political wilderness in the state and even on the national panorama. “Who becomes the new LJP president is the concern of the new parliamentary party head. The role of Paras ji is to supervise the affairs of his party, keep the Ram Vilas Paswan’s family united and also rebuild the party again,” Patel said.