Patna: Tug of war between the two factions of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) which went through the Lok Sabha and the Election Commission of India, will now percolate down to the villages in Bihar. LJP led by Chirag Paswan announced 'Aashirvad Yatra' to start on July 5, to commemorate father's birthday.
Paswan, MP from Jamui and son of the party founder and former union minister, Ram Vilas Paswan, on Sunday announced he would start his Bihar tour named as 'Aashirvad Yatra' from Hajipur, from where his father was elected to Lok Sabha in 1977 with record margin, earning Guinness Book record for the same. Paswan held a meeting of the national executive of the party which was attended by representatives from 12 states and 90 per cent members of the executive committee.
In 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Ram Vilas Paswan did not contest the elections from Hajipur and fielded Paras in his place.
LJP working committee members expressed their faith in the leadership of Chirag Paswan. Leaders asked the Election Commission not to allow the Paras faction to use LJP symbol-Bungalow and flag.
LJP workers under his leadership would cover all villages in Bihar in three months and would help the authorities in flood relief in North Bihar too, sources said. Chirag directed workers to help government in driving successful vaccination against COVID-19.
LJP executive passed a resolution urging the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi to honour Ram Vilas Paswan posthumously with Bharat Ratna for his fifty years as legislator and parliamentarian. He was first elected to Bihar assembly in 1969. Paswan died on October 8 last year due to COVID-19.
LJP executive committee passed a resolution denouncing the action by Pashupati Kumar's faction in splitting the party and "wrongfully" staking claim over the LJP parliamentary party. A delegation of faction led by Chirag called on the Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla in New Delhi late on Saturday evening and demanded review of decision to recognise Paras as leader of the LJP parliamentary party. Out of six LJP members in Lok Sabha, five had rebelled against Chirag.
Chirag also submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission seeking consultations with the group led by him before taking any decision on the claim made by Paras led LJP.
