The vision document was inspired by PM Modi, said Chirag Paswan. (FILE)
New Delhi:
Lok Janshakti (LJP) Party Chairman Chirag Paswan on Saturday called for the people’s “blessings” for his party’s “Bihar first Bihari first” vision document, once again indicating that he may not fight the polls of the National Assembly within the framework of the National Democratic Alliance.
In a statement, he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said all candidates in his party would strengthen the hand of the BJP leader.
The vision document was inspired by Prime Minister Modi, said Paswan, who has often made it clear that his main grouse is against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, led by JD (U).
“It is not only my hope but my confidence that you will bless me to make Bihar the first and restore its pride so that all my candidates can strengthen the hands of the prime minister,” he posted on Twitter with a photo of Prime Minister Modi speaking to him and keeping his hand on Mr. Paswan’s shoulders.
The LJP can run for 143 seats in the state assembly, which has 243 seats, without opposing its candidates to the BJP candidates, party sources said.
A party meeting to deliberate on Bihar’s elections has been postponed after Paswan rushed to hospital to see his ailing father and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan.
Chirag Paswan met BJP President J P Nadda a few times and also spoke with Interior Minister Amit Shah as the Saffron party leadership struggled to keep the alliance intact.
The LJP, according to the sources, is also unhappy with the seat-sharing arrangement being offered and hopes to inflict damage on the voting prospects of the JD (U), which has argued that the LJP is an ally of the BJP and not his.
Voting for the Bihar assembly will take place in three phases on October 28, November 3 and November 7, and the count will take place on November 10.
The nomination process for the first phase, in which 71 of a total of 243 seats will go to the polls, began on October 1 and will end on October 8.
In 2015, the LJP contested 42 seats and won two. The JD (U) was then part of the opposition alliance which decisively defeated the NDA.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
