Rift intensify within LJP: Clash between Chirag & Paras supporters in Patna

It would be interesting to see how things unfold on June 17 when the Pashupati Kumar Paras group will hold the crucial meeting in Patna. Chirag Paswan is also expected to make his move from the national capital itself, writes ETV Bharat Patna Bureau Chief Amit Bhelari.

Patna:The battle between Chacha and Bhajita is all out in the open after Chirag Paswan levelled several serious allegations on his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras. On the eve of a national executive committee meeting called by the faction led by Paras, the supporters of Chirag and Paras clashed with each other at the LJP office in Patna.

Amid controversy within the party, Chirag appeared before the media on Wednesday at a press meet in New Delhi and alleged that his uncle had tried to break the party long back. Not only this he also wrote a letter to Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla with a request to issue a fresh circular that the former still holds the position of LJP chief in the lower house. In the letter, Chirag said that the decision to replace him with Paras is contrary to the provision of the LJP's constitution.

Read:|Chirag Paswan expels all five rebel MPs from LJP

"Since Article 26 of the Constitution of Lok Janshakti Party empowers the Central Parliamentary Board of the party to decide who would be Leader of our Party in Lok Sabha, hence, the decision of announcing Pashupati Kumar Paras as Leader of LJP party in the Lok Sabha is contrary to the provision of Constitution of our party," Chirag wrote. He urged the speaker to issue a new circular in his favour as the speaker on Monday had officially recognized the five LJP MPs as the real party on the floor of the house. Interestingly both Chirag and Paras are taking legal consultation to stake their respective claim to the LJP.

Later during the press briefing, Chirag said that he tried his level best to keep the party and family intact but all his effort turned futile. Chirag also alleged that he was stabbed in the back when he had fallen sick. He also claimed that he would have made his uncle the chairman of the parliamentary board if he had requested him even once. After two hours of Chirag's press briefing, Paras landed in Patna where he received a grand welcome from his supporters. The sound of the musical band was echoing in the air at Patna airport and slogans in support of Paras were being shouted by his supporters.

Read:|LJP elects Paras as its leader in Parliament

Paras directly reached the LJP office along with the other four rebel MPs and there also he received a grand welcome with bouquets and garland. However, supporters of Chirag had also reached there and shouted slogans against Paras. The situation went ugly when supporters of Chirag and Paras went physical. The magistrate and jawans deputed on the main gate of the LJP office controlled the situation. Despite that Chirag's supporters kept on shouting slogans against Paras and showed black flags to him.

Two days back, the Paras group removed Chirag from the post of party president followed by appointing the party's vice-president Surajbhan Singh as working president. Getting angry on the move, Chirag on Tuesday suspended five rebel MPs including his cousin Prince Raj and uncle Paras.

“We have called the national executive committee meeting on June 17. In that meeting, we will decide further course of action. Chirag does not have authority to expel me and four other MPs,” Paras told the reporters at the LJP office on Wednesday.

Earlier, Paras in New Delhi stated that Chirag's decision to contest Bihar assembly elections by breaking with the NDA was not acceptable to the party leaders but he still went ahead with it, and this was the main reason for the party's poor performance. It would be interesting to see how things unfold tomorrow when the Paras group will hold the crucial meeting in Patna. Chirag is also expected to make his move from the national capital itself.

Read:|LJP crisis: Next political options before Chirag Paswan