Updated: October 16, 2020 2:01:10 pm
The president of the LJP, Chirag Paswan.
When he returns to the polls after his father’s death, LJP President Chirag Paswan talks with Santosh Singh about the “void” in his life and his father’s advice to be a “sher ka bachcha”, their relationship with the BJP and JD (U), and why not focus on Tejashwi Yadav in the elections.
He will enter the political arena for the first time without his father, Ram Vilas Paswan. His death has created a vacuum in state and national politics. What is your state of mind?
My father had arranged everything for me before he left. He always motivated me, encouraged me, and sometimes even prodded me. He often referred to his election decision in February 2005 (when the LJP won 29 seats) to chart his own course. He always told me that if a leader has the right intention and good policy, there is no reason to be afraid. My father said this after 51 years of political experience. He told me how he challenged his first Assembly election in 1969, without any political worker… He remembered how my uncle Ramchandra Paswan (ex-MP) used to put up his election posters. People often blamed my father for nepotism, but his brothers were his first political workers. My father used to tell me “Sher ka bachcha jungle chir kar apna raasta banata hai aur gidad maara jata hai (A lion cub makes his way through the jungle while a shy jackal is killed) ”. I’d rather be the son of a lion. My father’s words give me strength.
Explained | How do Chirag Paswan and the LJP rank in Bihar polls?
Your father was more involved in national politics. Would you stay longer in Patna and focus more on state politics?
Insurance. I am very clear about focusing on state politics. It is true that my father always preferred national politics … I have been to many places in my short career, but I can say from whatever experience I have that too much attention has been paid to caste politics (in Bihar). What is this policy of renaming Dalit to Mahadalit? Poverty is the only caste. It should focus on improving per capita income. It’s good to work on ways to improve the per capita income of included caste communities, but you need to focus more on the overall development index.
How would you respond to criticism for not having a connection with grassroots people like your father?
I am part of my father. His world lives inside of me. I understand all the dialects and rustic elements. I have always been connected to my roots. I often visited my village, Shaharbanni (Khagaria), until my grandparents were alive … What continues to bother me is the deep-rooted caste here. My community has suffered a lot from that too. We have to address issues like migration. I wonder why Patna cannot become an educational center.
Chirag Paswan said: “With the emotions I’m going through now … My focus is on the Assembly polls, but LJP is part of the NDA at the Center.”
But even the great leaders of Bihar like Jagjivan Ram and your father couldn’t get rid of their caste labels?
I always think in terms of the 12 million million inhabitants of Bihar. I have been inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was the one who first addressed the 125 crore Indians during the 2014 Lok Sabha campaign. He is my ideal. I am proud to wear Bihari before my name. My friends told me to write “Biharwasi (Bihar resident)” but I protested. If the people of Maharashtra are proud of their Maratha identity and the people of Punjab have no problem being referred to as Punjabi… “Bihari” being used as a derogatory term, it has been enough. I am a proud Bihari. It is necessary to bring the entire state of Bihar and focus on the actual development.
What went wrong between the JD (U) and the LJP? Things were looking good until the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Even during the 2019 elections, nothing was right between us. The LJP and JD (U) haven’t been together since 2005 … In fact, the JD (U) tried to beat us in our six seats (LJP won all six) including my Jamui seat, my uncles’ Hajipur, Samastipur and Khagaria seats. . I had seen my father call the CM to complain and we had also approached him with the BJP’s top central leadership. The fact is, Nitish Kumar doesn’t trust anyone. He doesn’t even trust the BJP. It is the lack of confidence that made BJP say that Nitish Kumar would only be CM regardless of which party wins the most seats. You know you are winning fewer seats than BJP.
Read also | Nitish Kumar behaved haughtily towards my father, worked to defeat LJP nominees in LS polls: Chirag Paswan
What is the story behind the JD (U) that helped Ram Vilas Paswan reach the Rajya Sabha, as stated by the Chief Minister at a recent press conference?
One may wonder how these words can be said about a man who was elected to the Lok Sabha nine times and was a deputy for Rajya Sabha twice, and for a leader who has been mentioned in the Guinness Book of World Records twice for win. with the largest margin of votes. I remember that the shared seat of Lok Sabha was announced in the presence of the CM by the then national president of the BJP, Amit Shah. On the day of my father’s Rajya Sabha nomination, we received a call from the House of CM about how CM was not aware of the nomination. My father had to go to CM’s house. The CM was trying to assert its supremacy over my father, who was such an important leader. It was an insult to my father. Now that it no longer exists, your seat is empty. Let the CM send anyone to Rajya Sabha.
Would you like to clarify the reports on your decision to exit the NDA with the support of BJP?
I have blind faith in PM. I can’t separate from the BJP. I can’t separate myself from the PM. I have often told Amit Shahji to let me compete in Bihar alone and follow my “Bihar first, Bihari first” agenda. I know Bihar CM would not include my schedule. When Saat Nischay-2 announced, it was easy for me to make a decision. He also didn’t want the BJP to compete in fewer than 100 seats. He knew that BJP would not get more than 120 seats in the alliance. I want a dual-engine government again, but a government led by the BJP in Bihar. We fought the BJP in Manipur and won a seat. Our MLA later supported the BJP in the government… My father had told me not to make any decision that I later regretted and to see Nitish Kumar as CM again.
There is also speculation that he will become a Union minister after the Bihar elections.
Honestly, those things don’t cross my mind. I’m not in that state of mind. With the emotions I’m going through right now… My focus is on the Assembly polls, but LJP is part of the NDA at the Center.
How do you see the BJP versus LJP contest in some seats?
It’s a friendly fight. We will compete in only five seats, including two seats. I had given a list of about 38 seats in the Assembly to the national president of the BJP, JP Naddaji, in advance and I am happy that most of these seats have been for the side of JD (U). The fight between the LJP and the BJP is friendly. If the BJP wins, we’ll salute you. If we win, we will support the BJP. I want to see a BJP-led LJP government in Bihar.
Read | Chirag Paswan: his father’s son
How do you see Tejashwi Yadav as a leader?
There is not much about Tejashwi … He is the leader of the opposition and has been doing his job. My whole focus is on the current CM and making sure he doesn’t return to the post.
Explained: Why didn’t Tejashwi Yadav grant alliance partners seats this time?
Does the LJP see itself as the future ally of the BJP in Bihar, replacing the JD (U)?
Of course yes. We are very allies in the Center. I will make sure that the prime minister is not embarrassed because of us. We will not use your poster in the election campaign. The JD (U) is coming out.
Now, former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi has also sought out Bharat Ratna for Ram Vilas Paswan.
As a son, he would be very proud if he was awarded the highest honor in the country. As a citizen too, I would yearn for honor for the man who worked with the six PM and worked for the poor.
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