Over 20 Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leaders and workers quit the party recently and accused party chief Chirag Paswan of “nepotism” and “neglect of party leaders and workers in ticket distribution” for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. Under the National Democratic Alliance seat arrangement in Bihar, Mr. Paswan-led LJP(RV) is contesting on five of total 40 LS seats in the State.
“None of the party leaders or workers were given party tickets to contest the Lok Sabha election, the tickets were virtually sold off to Chirag Paswan and his close confidants,” alleged Ravindra Singh, who quit from party’s national organisational secretary post along with other party leaders and workers on April 3. Some of those who resigned from party’s primary membership included national vice-president Renu Kushwaha, former MLA and national general secretary Satish Kumar, vice-president Sanjay Singh, State organisational secretary Ajay Kushwaha, State general secretary Rajesh Dangi and others. They claimed that they have sent their resignation to the State party president Raju Tiwary.
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The disgruntled leaders who resigned from LJP (RV) also said that they “stood with the party chief Chirag Paswan and nursed the organisation with their blood and sweat at the time when BJP had dumped Mr. Paswan in favour of his estranged uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras”. Party sources, however, told The Hindu that one or two leaders of those who resigned “in fact wanted to contest the Lok Sabha poll but couldn’t get the party ticket”.
Mr. Singh, said party sources, wanted to contest LS election from the Vaishali seat from where sitting MP Veena Devi was repeated. “It was surprising for all of us that Veena Devi was allotted party ticket again from Vaishali seat as she was instrumental in splitting the party by taking side with the Pashupati Kumar Paras and other party MPs,” Mr. Singh rued.
Under, the NDA seat sharing arrangement for total 40 LS seats in Bihar, LJP(RV) was allotted five seats of Hajipur(reserved), Samastipur, Jamui (reserved), Vaishali and Khagaria. Mr Paswan is contesting from Hajipur (reserved) seat to “retain his father and founder of erstwhile Lok Janshakti Party Ram Vilas Paswan’s political legacy”. He has announced name of his brother-in-law Arun Bharti from the Jamui seat from where Mr. Paswan is sitting MP. Party has also named sitting MP from Vaishali seat Veena Devi as party’s candidate. Ms. Devi, earlier, had sided with four other party MPS to form Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party-led by Mr Paswan’s estranged uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras. From Samastipur, LJP(RV) has fielded Sambhavi Choudhary, daughter of minister in Nitish Kumar cabinet, Ashok Choudhary and on Khagaria seat, party has fielded Rajesh Verma as candidate. A young businessman Mr. Verma is from Bhagalpur where he has been Deputy Mayor of the city as well. He is contesting Lok Sabha election for the first time from Khagaria.
On April 4, LJP(RV) Chief Chirag Paswan thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for kicking off his poll campaign in Bihar from Jamui. “It is a matter of pride for LJP(RV) and the people of Jamui that our Prime Minister has agreed to launch his poll campaign in Bihar from Jamui constituency. We’re committed to help him in achieving the target of 400 plus seats for NDA, including all the 40 seats in Bihar,” Mr. Paswan said from the dais in Jamui public meeting.
