This is an archive article published on July 5, 2023
Chirag Paswan interview: ‘BJP will have to decide if it wants to give up 3-4 potential allies to get Nitish back’
LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan says he has not seen "a more nervous Nitish Kumar", rules out patch-up with uncle and Union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras
Written by Santosh Singh
Patna | Updated: July 6, 2023 09:10 AM IST
6 min read
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Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader and MP from Jamui, Chirag Paswan. (Facebook/Chirag Paswan)
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Chirag Paswan interview: ‘BJP will have to decide if it wants to give up 3-4 potential allies to get Nitish back’
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Since the Opposition’s grand meeting in Patna on June 23, the political circles in Bihar have been buzzing. First came Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s one-on-one meetings with JD(U) legislators amid the political developments in far-away Maharashtra, leading political observers to ask if Nitish was thinking of yet another return to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Then, Deputy CM and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav was named in a charge sheet for the land-for-jobs scam. Nitish had broken ties with the RJD in 2017 over similar charges against Tejashwi.
Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan, the MP from Jamui, spoke to The Indian Express about his party’s alliance talks with the BJP, what his stand will be if Nitish again returns to the NDA, and chances of a patch-up with his uncle and Union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras.
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.
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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”.
Santosh Singh is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express since June 2008. He covers Bihar with main focus on politics, society and governance. Investigative and explanatory stories are also his forte. Singh has 25 years of experience in print journalism covering Bihar, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.
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