Chirag Paswan will campaign with BJP in Bihar, says Sanjay Jaiswal

Patna: Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan will be working with BJP for the upcoming Bihar by-polls, said BJP's Bihar President Sanjay Jaiswal. His clarification comes amid rumours claiming that Paswan is angry with the NDA.

Jaiswal told the media that Paswan has always been with the BJP and will campaign for the NDA in the two seats - in Mokama and Gopalganj - on October 31 and November 1. The by-polls will be held on November 3 and votes will be counted on November 6. He added that all constituent parties of the alliance are putting their energies into this, reported NDTV.

The party chief also slammed the grand alliance government in Bihar and accused Rashtriya Janata Dal's Anant Kumar Singh of threatening businessmen in order to keep his seat in Mokama. Singh's wife is seeking to retain the MLA's seat in the constituency. Jaiswal alleged that Singh's supporters are threatening shopkeepers that their shops will be looted if they do not vote for the RJD. Anant Kumar Singh was disqualified in July 2022 following his conviction in a case related to the recovery of arms and ammunition.

Chirag Paswan was part of the BJP-led alliance in 2020. He rebelled against JD(U) and contested the Bihar election on his own. However, he failed to make a mark. The JD(U) accused him of being BJP's pawn in 2020. Paswan claimed he only wanted to dislodge Nitish Kumar from power and help the BJP form a government.

The BJP allied with Nitish Kumar's JD(U) because most MLAs in LJP weren't supporting it. In 2021, his uncle Pashupati Paras formed his own outfit. Paswan in August declared he will not be part of any coalition including Paras who is a union minister. He later claimed there is no point in an alliance without mutual respect.