NEW DELHI: In a significant development, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan on Wednesday said that the seat-sharing deal with the BJP for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha Elections has been finalised. Chirag Paswan, who represents the Jamui Lok Sabha seat, said that a formal announcement in this regard will be made soon. Chirag also confirmed that his party will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as part of the BJP-led NDA.
”As a member of the NDA, today in a meeting with BJP National President JP Nadda, we have together finalised the seat sharing in Bihar for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls. The same will be announced in due course of time,” Chirag Paswan said in a post on X.
As a member of the NDA, today in a meeting with BJP National President Hon Shri @jpnadda ji, we have together finalised the seat sharing in Bihar for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls.
The same will be announced in due course.
एनडीए के सदस्य के रूप में आज भाजपा के राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष… pic.twitter.com/hpAQNC5HKo
— युवा बिहारी चिराग पासवान (@iChiragPaswan) March 13, 2024
Chirag Paswan made these remarks following his meeting with BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda in the national capital.
#WATCH | LJP national president Chirag Paswan meets BJP national president JP Nadda, in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/Zfx9CQMhjE
— ANI (@ANI) March 13, 2024
Sources said that Chirag Paswan will be given 5 seats from LJP’s quota in Bihar. Chirag Paswan will contest from the Hajipur Lok Sabha seat, and there is a consensus between the BJP and Chirag Paswan. BJP has also reportedly offered the post of Governor to Chirag’s estranged uncle Pashupati Paras and discussed the possibility of Prince Paswan, the Member of Parliament from the Samastipur Lok Sabha constituency, becoming a minister in the the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government.
Prince Paswan is the nephew of late LJP founder Ram Vilas Paswan. Prince was elected as a Member of Parliament from Samastipur in a by-poll on 24 October 2019, after the death of his father and sitting MP Ram Chandra Paswan.
Speaking to journalists later, Chirag Paswan said, “Every worker of LJP expresses gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Just as we have been with the Bharatiya Janata Party in the past several elections, we will continue to be with BJP in the upcoming elections. We thank BJP President JP Nadda for not only addressing our demands but also making efforts towards their resolution.”
Chirag Paswan further stated, “Today, when the alliance is fully prepared, I express heartfelt gratitude to Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President JP Nadda. In the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the NDA alliance will win all 40 seats in Bihar. I have attended the party’s programs in the state, and from the experiences gained there, I feel confident that we will cross the mark of 400, and the flag of NDA will fly on all 40 seats of Bihar.”
When asked about the formula for seat allocation, LJP National President Chirag said, “There is a rule of the alliance. We will all sit together and then make the announcement together.” What’s most interesting is that Chirag Paswan said, “With the arrival of Nitish Kumar, the NDA has become stronger, and we will succeed in winning all the seats of the state.”
In Bihar, there are 40 Lok Sabha seats and six parties including BJP and JD(U) are the main contenders. Both Pashupati Kumar Paras and Chirag Paswan have been claiming the Hajipur seat.
Pashupati Kumar Paras, who is currently serving as the Minister of Food Processing Industries in the Narendra Modi-led Government since 2021, is the founder of the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party. He is currently serving as a member of Lok Sabha from Hajipur since 2019.
Interestingly, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president had recently cautioned the BJP before making any final decision on seat-sharing in Bihar. Upon realising that he is likely to get fewer seats in the BJP-led alliance this time after the arrival of Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Paswan asserted that he is not afraid of anyone and neither will bow down. Giving a strong message to the BJP, Paswan said his alliance was only with the people of Bihar.
In response to his statement, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary assured that all the allies of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will get proper representation in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Chaudhary’s remarks came even as the NDA in Bihar appeared to be grappling with the question of seat-sharing despite crucial meetings in Delhi and Patna to streamline the distribution of Lok Sabha seats among its constituents in the state. Responding to a question of dismay within the smaller NDA constituents, Choudhary said, “They all will be taken into account and will get proper representation”.
When asked about the timeline of announcing candidates in Bihar for Lok Sabha seats, the BJP leader said that there is ample time and assured that a seat-sharing deal will be revealed before the announcement of general election dates.
Addressing a recent rally, Chirag Paswan dropped hints that he was weighing his options and could tilt towards the side with a better bargain. “I can see the posse of media persons here who are anxious to know whom Chirag Paswan is aligned with. I wish to tell them that Chirag Paswan is aligned only with the people of Bihar,” Chirag Paswan said. “Every party, every coalition wants Chirag Paswan to be on its side,” he said, adding that this was because people were enamoured with his “Bihar first Bihari first” vision that seeks to pull the state out of chronic backwardness.