PATNA: Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan on Monday reiterated that his party would contest from both Hajipur and Jamui seats in the Lok Sabha elections next year.
“I wish that my mother Reena Paswan contests from Hajipur Lok Sabha seat. Even my father wanted her to contest from Hajipur when he was alive. However, she has not given her consent for this.
She prefers to remain away from public life and we respect her choice,” Chirag told reporters at Patna airport before leaving for Delhi.
Chirag said his Sunday’s remark that he would leave Jamui parliamentary constituency only after becoming an elderly man was wrongly interpreted. “Being connected with Jamui does not necessarily mean that I would remain a parliamentarian from there. People of Jamui accepted me as their son and I will continue to serve them in different capacities as I have been doing for people of Hajipur and entire Bihar,” Chirag said.
Chirag is facing a stiff resistance from his estranged uncle and union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras, who presently represents Hajipur seat in Lok Sabha after forming a new political party, Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP), in 2021.
“There is no question of any compromise on Hajipur seat. It has been ‘karmabhumi’ of my father and I have a strong connection with it as I have to complete the unfinished works of my father. Jamui is my own ‘karmabhumi’ and I am in no way deserting it. The parliamentary board of my party as well as the alliance partners will decide who will contest from which seat,” Chirag said.
LJP (Ram Vilas) spokesperson Rajesh Bhatt said the party intends to field its candidates on six seats won by the undivided LJP in the last Lok Sabha elections.