Patna: LJP president Chirag Paswan has contradicted the claim of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar that Ram Vilas Paswan was sent to Rajya Sabha on his (Nitish) support. Junior Paswan claimed that the fact was Nitish had opposed Paswan's nomination from Bihar assembly constituency as NDA candidate to Rajya Sabha last year.
Ram Vilas Paswan was elected to Rajya Sabha following a by-election held for Rajya Sabha on the vacancy caused due to resignation of the Union Law, Justice and Communications Minister Ravishankar Prasad who was elected to Lok Sabha from Patna Sahib. He recalled that Paswan went to the CM's house to seek his support, however, Nitish told him Paswan he was a BJP candidate only.
Two days back, Nitish Kumar at a press conference here had claimed that Ram Vilas Paswan was sent to Rajya Sabha because of him.
Chirag in a letter to the BJP president JP Nadda said Nitish was insensitive and did not even care for the health of his ailing father.
LJP on Thursday released the first list of 43 candidates. They include nine BJP defectors two from JDU. Most of the BJP rebels are from upper castes only. They include Rameshwar Chaurasia, all India BJP secretary from Sasaram, Usha Vidyarthy, vice-president of the state BJP from Paliganj, Rajendra Singh, another vice-president from Dinara, Shweta Singh, spokesperson of BJP Women Wing.
LJP also nominated the former minister Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha, a senior JDU leader and Chandrashekhar Paswan, national general secretary of JDU Yuva Janata Dal as its candidates.
Meanwhile, a senior JDU leader and former minister Ram Jatan Sinha resigned from the party protesting against the alleged discrimination against the upper castes in the distribution of party tickets. Sinha who is from upper castes-Bhumihars, alleged Nitish Kumar was deliberately trying to politically liquidate the upper castes from Bihar politics. He was president of Patna University Students Union during JP movement and had defeated Lalu Prasad Yadav.
