Chirag Paswan expressed dissatisfaction with how Nitish Kumar handled the migrant crisis
Patna:
Before Amit Shah’s digital rally in Bihar on Sunday, widely regarded as the launch of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) campaign led by the BJP, a comment by a key ally on chief minister Nitish Kumar could spoil the spectacle of unity. Lok Janshakti (LJP) Party Leader Chirag Paswan made it clear today that he would support the BJP “whether it supports the leadership of Nitish Kumar or changes its mind”.
Chirag Paswan, whose father Ram Vilas Paswan is a minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, also expressed dissatisfaction with the way Nitish Kumar handled the migrant crisis, saying it could have been better.
“Who will be the face, who will be the leader of the alliance is something that its biggest BJP constituent must decide. The LJP is strongly with the BJP in any decision it makes. If they (BJP) want to go from the front with Nitish Kumar ji, we are with them, if they want to change their mind … whatever the decision made by the BJP, we will support, “said Paswan to Press Trust of India in a interview.
At the same time, he said the NDA would return to power in Bihar with a huge mandate, winning more than 225 of the 242 seats in the assembly.
The BJP declared Nitish Kumar the main ministerial face of the NDA in power for the elections in Bihar, scheduled for later this year, and amid speculation about a loophole about the migrant crisis and the closure of the coronavirus, the minister of the Interior Amit Shah should repeat it in his online rally.
Reacting to LJP leader’s comments, Bihar BJP leaders said party is unable to reconsider decision on Nitish Kumar leadership, but admit image of Bihar chief minister has taken a beating on his flip-flop on managing migrants’ problem. Bihar BJP sources said they thought Mr. Kumar had made a mistake in urging the center to stop the “Shramik” trains.
Mr. Paswan made his point. He apparently wants to deal with the BJP rather than Nitish Kumar when it comes to the allocation of seats for the Bihar competition.
Last year, Amit Shah sought to end discussions over a feud between the BJP and Nitish Kumar by declaring that he would lead the alliance in the legislative elections. The announcement helped the allies resolve their differences just before the April-May national elections, in which they marked a landslide in Bihar.
The BJP now has another troubled Bihar ally to contend with.
Paswan said in the interview that the Bihar government’s management of migrants stranded by the virus’s lockup was insufficient and praised the government of the Uttar Pradesh BJP led by Yogi Adityanath.
“If the Bihar government had started to transport migrants earlier, then we could have the example of Jyoti Kumari. The deaths of many workers on the way home would probably have been avoided,” he said, adding that reference to Nitish Kumar’s early reluctance. to allow migrants to return to the state.
Jyoti Kumari, a teenager, traveled more than 1,100 km from Gurgaon to Darbhanga in Bihar with her father injured on horseback.
Paswan said there was anger among hundreds of thousands of migrants who returned to Bihar from different parts of the country.
