BJP ally Lok Janashakthi Party is going through a major crisis. The party’s MPs and other leaders have rebelled against its leader. Five party MPs, including Ram Vilas Paswan’s brother Pashupathi Paras, have raised a banner of revolt and have claimed that they were the real LJP not president Chirag Paswan, who is the son of Ram Vilas Paswan.
Many political observers knew all along that this rebellion was inevitable. Ever since Chirag played spoil-sport and led to JDU’s poor performance, Chief Minister and JDU chief Nitish Kumar was waiting for an opportunity to hit back at him. The LJP was friendly with the BjP at the Centre, but was an enemy to Nitish Kumar, with whom the BJP formed a government in Bihar. This anomaly could not continue for long. Chirag’s MPs have now deserted him and are now planning to claim that their’s is the original LJP. A hapless Chirag tried to meet the rebel MPs including his uncle Paras and waited at their residence for hours, but to no avail. Initially, Chirag called each MP to his home, but the rebel MPs did not respond. Later, he himself went over to their homes, but they refused to meet him. The MPs are claiming that they would align with the NDA. This means, Chirag Paswan is completely isolated.
The only MLA of the party in Bihar assembly has already joined the Janata Dal. Now with all MPs opposing him, whether Chirag gets the central ministry is a big question. Interestingly, the BJP is not taking any side in this controversy. It is behaving as if it is an internal affair of the LJP. The isolation of Chirag Paswan is thus total.