X: @the_news_21
Union Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras has tendered his resignation from the Narendra Modi government on Tuesday following a contentious seat-sharing agreement within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Paras, who leads the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP), took this drastic step after his party was denied a single seat in the pact announced in Delhi on Monday.
Reports had previously surfaced indicating RLJP’s dissatisfaction with the seat-sharing arrangement, prompting discussions among party members about taking an independent stance. The denial of justice in the allocation of seats further solidified the decision to withdraw support from the government. It was widely anticipated that Paras would resign from his ministerial post soon after the seat-sharing deal was made public.
The possibility of RLJP aligning with the grand alliance remains on the table, provided it receives a fair allocation of seats. Speculation suggests the party may nominate candidates from constituencies such as Hajipur, Samastipur, Khagaria, and Vaishali. Paras himself has declared his intention to contest independently against his nephew, Chirag Paswan, the leader of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), in the Hajipur constituency.
Sources indicate that Paras’s discomfort stemmed from Chirag Paswan’s perceived proximity to the BJP, raising concerns about his party’s future within the NDA. Despite attempts to garner attention from the BJP leadership and appeals to figures like JP’s National President, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Home Minister Amit Shah, RLJP’s efforts went unrecognized.
Chirag Paswan, who now holds sway over five Lok Sabha seats, including Vaishali, Hajipur, Samastipur, Khagaria, and Jamui, currently faces a rift within the LJP following the demise of his father, Ram Vilas Paswan. This schism has led to two factions emerging within the party, with Pashupati Paras leading one faction while Chirag Paswan leads the other. Presently, Chirag Paswan serves as an MP from Jamui, while other LJP MPs include Pashupati Paras (representing Hajipur), Mahboob Ali Kaiser (representing Khagaria), Veena Devi (representing Vaishali), and Prince Raj (representing Samastipur).
