Chirag Paswan interview: ‘BJP will have to decide if it wants to give up 3-4 potential allies to get Nitish back’

Excerpts:

What do you make out of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s meeting with his MPs, MLAs, and MLCs?

Chirag: Nitish Kumar has been pushing hard to remain relevant. He is trying to nurse his ambition, which is primarily driven by his jealousy of PM Narendra Modi. Nitish Kumar wants to be at the centre of national politics based on his jealousy alone. He perhaps believes that if a three-time Gujarat CM can become PM, why can’t he, especially when he comes from the Hindi heartland and has been the Bihar CM for over 17 years now? But all this is wishful thinking. He quit the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in 2013 after being jealous of Narendra Modi. When he was with the Grand Alliance, RJD national president Lalu Prasad overshadowed him and he was back with the NDA. But again, national ambition gripped him and he took another U-turn to nurse his unfulfilled desire.

What if Nitish Kumar takes another U-turn? Where will the LJP (R) be in that situation?

Chirag: Given Nitish Kumar’s political background, he can take any number of U-turns. But, it is a hypothetical situation and my hypothetical answer to this question is that the BJP has closed the doors on him forever. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said it several times. If it still happens, it has to be seen if those who left Nitish, including me, can again side with him. The BJP will have to decide if it wants to give up three to four potential allies to get Nitish back.

On that note, what is the status of your alliance talks with the BJP? And are there any chances of your patch-up with your uncle and Union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras?

Chirag: We have been discussing an alliance off and on. It should be just a matter of time … There is absolutely no question of a patch-up with my uncle or a merger of our LJP (Ram Vilas) with his party (National Lok Janshakti Party). It is generally elders who take calls on such matters. My uncle has taken the call as he recently said it was impossible to align with me. And as against the perceived notion and some rumours, the BJP has not been pressuring me to merge our parties. In fact, some of his MPs have been in touch with me and can contest for the LJP (Ram Vilas).

Is there a chance of your mother Reena Paswan contesting from your father’s home turf Hajipur, currently represented by your uncle?

Chirag: I would love my mother to contest from Hajipur. She was the first choice of my father to contest from Hanipur in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. But she declined back then. One thing that is pretty certain is LJP (Ram Vilas) will contest from Hajipur, the constituency nursed by my father for years. I will try to convince my mother to contest the Lok Sabha elections from there next year. We cannot let go of Hajipur.

How do you react to Opposition parties’ allegations about a witch hunt going on against their leaders, especially after the recent NCP split and Tejashwi being named in the charge sheet of the land-for-jobs case?

Chirag: Political parties weaken because of their inherent contradictions. So many people are also saying that the BJP is trying to split the Janata Dal (United). But, in reality, one knows that Nitish Kumar’s party became the number three party in the 2020 polls. I have not seen a more nervous Nitish Kumar and he had to hold one-on-one meetings with his MPs and MLAs amid the Maharashtra development.

If Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) returns to the NDA, will it shrink your space as a Dalit leader in the alliance?

Chirag: Not at all. Rather, the chances of the HAM (S) also becoming an NDA ally strengthens our cause. Let me also make it clear that we are not focussing on any particular caste or social group. Take the example of any of my public meetings, one can find a good mix of social composition irrespective of caste and religion. I have been holding meetings in rural areas these days. I am thrilled to receive a strong response from the crowd to my slogan “Bihar first, Bihari first”.