PATNA: The opposition Grand Alliance in Bihar is likely to throw its hat into the ring for Rajya Sabha’s seat, which was vacated after the death of the former Union minister. Ram Vilas Paswansources from the five-party coalition said Sunday.
The BJP-led NDA, of which the late leader Lok Janshakti Party has been a constituent, has sent the former senior vice minister Sushil Kumar Modi, who will present his nomination papers on December 2.
Paswan’s son Chirag, who currently heads the LJP and had recently burned his fingers going alone in assembly polls, tried to downplay the coolness received from the NDA, saying that “the seat belonged to the BJP. It is for the party to decide who to present in the by-elections. ”
Paswan had been elected, unopposed, in a vote last year demanded by his cabinet colleague, Ravi Shankar Prasad, to win the seat of Patna Sahib Lok Sabha.
However, the RJD, which heads the great alliance, had indicated on Saturday that he was unwilling to give a pass to the NDA.
In a statement, party spokesman Shakti Yadav said that “the BJP has acted out of spite (‘khunnas’) by denying the LJP the seat. If the late Ram Vilas Paswan’s party had been able to participate, we would have considered supporting his candidate despite the fact that his party is not our alliance partner ”.
Meanwhile, Grand Alliance sources said the sensors have been sent to Chirag who is considering removing her mother Reena Paswan from her seat and assured her of their “full support.”
The offer appears to have put the 37-year-old president of the LJP in a bind, as accepting the offer would amount to burning his bridges with the BJP, which he claims to remain loyal despite its risky policy, and with the first Minister Narendra Modi. to whom he expresses admiration without reservation.
The LJP chief has argued that his misfortune in the recent elections was due to the conviction that there was resentment in the state against Prime Minister Nitish Kumar and his JD (U).
The numbers in the state assembly also appear to be in favor of the NDA, which now includes smaller parties like VIP and HAM. The ruling coalition has 125 MLAs in the 243-member assembly, compared to just 110 for the Grand Alliance.
The opposition coalition, which hopes to join parties like Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM, which has five MLAs, is of the opinion that such a contest would be a win-win situation, as even if Reena Paswan lost, the NDA would end up angering a large Dalits section.
Grand Alliance sources also said that if Chirag did not give a positive response, the coalition could still go ahead and present its candidate for the seat, participating in another test of strength with the ruling NDA.
The presentation of the nomination documents will end on December 3. The last date to withdraw nominations is December 7 and voting is scheduled for December 14.
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