Newsmaker: On the sidelines of raj path, Chirag now loses a Janpath address

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On Thursday, the Directorate of Estates, an arm of the Union Urban and Housing Affairs Ministry, completed vacating the bungalow, 17 months after Paswan, a prominent Dalit leader, died due to cardiac and kidney ailments at the age of 74.

The development is another setback for his son Chirag (39) who, even as he is struggling to keep hold of the LJP as Paswan’s rightful successor amid an intense family feud, has been unable to retain his father’s house. 12 Janpath had also served as the office of LJP since its formation in 2000.

Personal belongings of former Union minister Late Ram Vilas Paswan lay on roadside as government officials vacate his house in New Delhi on Thursday. (Express photo by Anil Sharma)

On Thursday, the family’s attempt to halt the eviction through a petition was dismissed by the Delhi High Court. In the afternoon, as the family left the premises, Chirag told reporters: “It had to happen one day, today or tomorrow. We never demanded that we need the house permanently. We managed extensions through dialogues and stayed as long as we were allowed. You can’t press for something you are not entitled to. But yes, I am a little disappointed with the way it has happened.”

He added: “I am a two-time MP. I thought I would be provided with alternative accommodation. Many staff members of my father, who were staying in these premises, are also facing difficulties now.”

After Paswan’s death, the family had installed his bust at the entrance of the house. Chirag had at the time rejected reports that he was trying to convert the place into a memorial for his father.

While there are many tales associated with the bungalow, one that illustrates its significance is that in 2004, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Paswan’s neighbour at 10 Janpath, had walked down to his residence to seek his support for government formation at the Centre after the Congress emerged as the single largest party in the general elections that year.

Chirag Paswan with Ram Vilas Paswan. (File)

It was not just a hub of political activities, but also a port of call for workers and supporters of the party visiting the national capital even for personal reasons, said one party worker, who came to 12 Janpath on Thursday to visit the Paswan residence “one last time”.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi could have intervened to stop the eviction,” said the worker, his voice laced with disappointment, an observation shared by many others who turned up outside the residence.

This refrain, however, has much to do with Chirag’s public display of admiration for the PM in the past. Ahead of the 2020 Bihar polls, which the LJP fought as a BJP ally, Chirag had called himself Modi’s “Hanuman” to establish his loyalty to the PM.

In the elections, the LJP had won only one seat. Later, its sole MLA had also switched to the JD(U).

After the elections, the LJP had plunged into turmoil over the issue of succession, with both Chirag and his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras laying claim to the party. Cementing the impression that Chirag had outlived his utility for the BJP, the ruling party, in 2021, took in Paras as a minister in the Union government, days after he engineered a split in the LJP, obtaining support of five of the party’s six MPs in the Lok Sabha.

Later, in October, the Election Commission allotted the Chirag-led faction the name Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and helicopter as its poll symbol, while Paras-faction was given the name Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) and sewing machine as its symbol.

For now, Chirag continues to raise his pitch against the Nitish Kumar-led JD(U), accusing it of running an inefficient government in Bihar, while not attacking the BJP directly. He has also kept open the possibility of an understanding with the RJD in the future by repeating the line “never say never” on multiple occasions.