Will back BJP’s decision on Nitish as NDA’s face in Bihar polls says Chirag Paswan
Patna, June 07: Hinting at his party's unease with Nitish Kumar, LJP president Chirag Paswan said on Friday he will back the BJP if it opts for a change of face in the Bihar assembly polls as he underscored his dissatisfaction with the chief minister's handling of the migrant crisis, noting it "could have been better".
The BJP had declared Kumar, the JD(U) president, as the chief ministerial face of the ruling NDA in Bihar more than a year ago, but a section of leaders within the alliance have been expressing their reservation against his leadership.
Will back BJP’s decision on Nitish as NDA’s face in Bihar polls says Chirag Paswan
In an interview to PTI, Paswan did not make any direct demand about a change of leadership but asserted that he will be with the BJP in whatever decision the saffron party takes.
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"Who will be the face, who will be the leader of the alliance is something that its largest constituent BJP has to decide. The LJP is strongly with the BJP in whatever decision it takes. If they (BJP) want to go ahead with Nitish Kumar ji, we are with them, if they want to have a change of mind ... whatever decision the BJP takes, we will support," Paswan said.
His
remarks
are
significant
as
it
was
presumed
that
the
issue
of
the
NDA's
face
in
the
Bihar
polls,
which
are
slated
for
October-November,
had
been
settled
after
the
then
BJP
president
Amit
Shah
had
declared
in
2019
that
Kumar
will
lead
the
alliance
in
the
next
assembly
elections.
Shah's
announcement
had
come
as
he
was
working
to
iron
out
differences
among
the
NDA
partners
for
the
Lok
Sabha
elections
in
the
state.
Asked about the Bihar government's handling of the migrant crisis triggered by the nationwide lockdown to curb Covid-19, Paswan, the Lok Sabha MP from Jamui, said it could have been better.
"If Bihar government had begun transporting migrants earlier, then we could have the example of the likes of Jyoti Kumar. Deaths of many labourers on their way to home could have been probably avoided," he said and also praised the Yogi Adityanath government of Uttar Pradesh in this regard.
Teenaged girl Jyoti Kumari shot into limelight after cycling over 1100 km from Gurgaon to Darbangha while carrying her father on pillion.
With BJP in whatever decision it takes for Bihar Assembly polls: Chirag Paswan
The LJP president acknowledged that there is anger among lakhs of migrants, who have returned to Bihar from different parts of the country.
Paswan, however, asserted that the NDA will come back to power in Bihar with a huge mandate, and said the RJD-led opposition is not in a position to challenge it.
It
will
win
more
than
225
of
242
seats
in
the
assembly,
he
claimed,
noting
that
it
had
also
won
39
of
the
state's
40
Lok
Sabha
seats
in
2019.
The
BJP,
the
JD(U)
and
the
LJP
are
part
of
the
NDA
in
the
state
and
will
be
challenged
by
the
alliance
of
the
RJD
and
the
Congress
besides
some
smaller
parties
in
the
assembly
polls.