Will Contest LS Polls From Hajipur Seat: Chirag Paswan Amid Row With Uncle

It is the uncle versus nephew fight in Bihar that shows no sign of relenting for close to three years.

Union Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras and Lok Janshakti Party leader Chirag Paswan are at loggerheads over claiming the legacy of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) founder Ram Vilas Paswan.

In a major development, Chirag Paswan, who joined the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) asserted that his party would contest the Hajipur Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar amid a row with his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras.

"I can say that in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) candidate will contest from Hajipur seat," said Chirag Paswan.

"All is well in NDA. Talks were going on for a long time. We had some concerns and discussions were held over it and very amicably and positively an agreement was reached. Our aim is the 2024 Lok Sabha and 2025 Bihar elections...I will contest from Hajipur," Paswan told ANI.

His party will fight as part of the BJP-led NDA in the 2025 Bihar assembly polls as well.

Reacting sharply to Chirag Paswan's statement, Hajipur MP and RLJP chief Pashupati Kumar Paras stated, "His claim of contesting from Hajipur is baseless. I would like to advise him that he should not betray the people of his constituency and contest from his present seat."

Following the demise of Ram Vilas Paswan, the right to contest from Hajipur has become the flashpoint for the warring LJP factions.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is trying to negotiate and find a solution to defuse tensions between Chirag Paswan and Pashupati Kumar Paras respectively.

Notably, Paras was inducted into the Union cabinet after he split the late Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), shortly after his demise, leaving Chirag isolated in the organisation of which the latter was the national president.

The Hajipur seat holds significance as Chirag Paswan's father Ram Vilas Paswan was an MP from this constituency from 2014 and 2019.