BJP’s Bihar Seat Sharing Leaves Pashupati Paras Isolated: Political Survival at Stake

GG News Bureau
Patna, 19th March. In a significant political maneuver, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has unveiled its seat-sharing arrangement in Bihar, notably excluding Pashupati Paras, the estranged uncle of Chirag Paswan and leader of a faction within the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). This exclusion has left Paras, who once wielded considerable influence, in a politically precarious position.

Three years ago, Paras orchestrated a split within the LJP and was subsequently rewarded with a ministerial position in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet. However, recent developments have seen him marginalized within the political landscape of Bihar. Sources indicate that Paras is set to resign from the Union cabinet, while his party members have reached out to the INDIA alliance, a move that underscores his diminishing clout.

Meanwhile, Chirag Paswan, who has maintained his allegiance to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), has secured only five out of the six seats he had sought. Despite this setback, Paswan’s list includes Hajipur, a constituency previously held by his late father, Ram Vilas Paswan, currently represented by Pashupati Paras. This sets the stage for a high-stakes electoral showdown between uncle and nephew, promising to be a closely watched contest.

The dynamics of Bihar politics have been further complicated by Paswan’s strained relationship with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The latter has attributed his party’s poor performance in the 2020 assembly elections to the influence of the Paswan faction, a factor that has soured relations between the two leaders.

Following Paras’ split from the LJP, which was allegedly facilitated by the BJP, Chirag Paswan contested the assembly elections independently, leading to a division of pro-NDA votes and undermining the electoral prospects of the Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)]. Consequently, the JD(U) ceded its dominant position within the alliance to the BJP, prompting speculation about the BJP’s strategic intentions in Bihar politics.