Bihar: Pashupati Paras Likely To Resign From Modi Cabinet

Union minister Pashupati Kumar is likely to resign from the Narendra Modi government after his Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) was not given a single seat in the seat-sharing pact among con- stituents of the NDA for the Lok Sabha election. The seat sharing deal was announced in Delhi on Monday.

A senior RLJP leader, requesting anonymity said party leaders and workers reached a consensus to take an 'independent' decision as Justice was denied to the party in the seat-sharing arrangement. Paras may resign from the union cabinet in a day or two, sources claimed.

The possibility of RLJP joining the grand alliance cannot be ruled out if it is offered a 'respectful' number of seats in the deal. The party may field candidates from Hajipur, Samastipur, Khagaria and Vaishali. Paras has already announced to contest as an independent against his nephew and LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan in Hajipur.

After the seat-sharing arrangement was announced by NDA, Chirag reaffirmed that he would contest election from Hajipur, which was represented by his father Ram Vilas Paswan eight times. Presently, Paras is the MP from Hajipur.

Sources said the grand alliance could offer his party Hajipur, Samastipur, Khagaria and Vaishali seats.

Senior RLJP leaders including former MP and strongman Surajbhan Singh, Surajbhan's brother and RLJP MP from Nawada Chandan Singh and party MP from Samastipur Prince Raj and others held a meeting to decide future course. Prince Raj is the son of Ram Vilas's other brother late Ramachandra Paswan.

When reporters asked dy chief minister and Bihar BJP president Samarat Choud-hary how his party would assuage the hurt feelings of Paras, he tersely remarked, "Talks are on with him."