Suspense remains over which camp Chirag will jump

Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) on Saturday repudiated the BJP's claim that the leader had agreed to campaign for the NDA in by-polls to Mokama and Gopalganj assembly seats in Bihar due next week.

The party's state unit chief Raju Tiwari said that no instructions have been received, so far, from Paswan, the national president, with regard to the by-elections.

"We are surprised how the BJP is making such a claim. To the best of our knowledge, there has been no change in our stance of remaining equidistant from NDA as well as Mahagathbandhan," Tiwari told reporters.

He was replying to queries about the claim made by state BJP president Sanjay Jaiswal that Paswan was an "NDA ally" and would campaign for the saffron party's candidates in both seats where voting is scheduled on November 3.

Tiwari, however, added: "Our national president will visit Bihar tomorrow. We shall be looking forward to his instructions and act upon his advice".

The Jamui MP headed the Lok Janshakti Party founded by his late father Ram Vilas Paswan till it was split by his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras who voiced disapproval of Paswan's revolt during the 2020 assembly polls against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, then an NDA partner.

Paras also got a cabinet berth in the Union government, much to the chagrin of his nephew who appeared isolated in the party despite enjoying mass support.

Later, the splinter groups headed by the uncle and the nephew got recognised by the NDA as separate political parties.

Paras remains in the NDA and has plunged headlong into the by-polls, canvassing in support of BJP candidates Sonam Devi (Mokama) and Kusum Devi (Gopalganj).

In contrast, Paswan has been ambivalent about siding with a coalition of which his mutinous uncle is a part, though he seems to be keeping options open by choosing not to field his own candidate in either seat.

Paswan had, a few months ago, cosied up to RJD heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav whose father and party supremo Lalu Prasad has been of the view that the two young leaders should team up.

However, the RJD's recent tie-up with Nitish Kumar, with whom Paswan seems to have burnt his bridges, may have come as a dampener.

Meanwhile, the BJP, which looks wrecked after losing Nitish Kumar to "Mahagathbandhan" and has been trying hard to garner support from wherever it is available, insisted that it had Paswan in its arsenal.

"Our state president could not have spoken in vain. Let Chirag come tomorrow. You will get to know the incontrovertible truth," said Union minister Nityanand Rai, a former state BJP president, when he was asked about Jaiswal's claim.