Locked in battle with uncle Pashupati Paras for control of the Lok Janshakti Party, Chirag Paswan has decided to hit where it would hurt the most -- a display of popular support for him as the political heir of Ram Vilas Paswan.
After a meeting today, Chirag Paswan said he would hold a roadshow on his father's birth anniversary next month from Hajipur in Bihar, as his faction takes the fight with a rival group to the streets.
The decision to launch the yatra from Hajipur is significant because Ram Vilas Paswan was elected to Lok Sabha from here a number of times and Paras represents the seat now in the House. Chirag Paswan said Hajipur had been "karmabhoomi" of his father.
Paswan's announcement came following a meeting of the LJP national executive which endorsed his leadership and hit out at a faction headed by his paternal uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras for its work against the party's constitution.
The yatra will roll out across the state, and the party's national council will be held after this.
The executive also passed a resolution demanding Bharat Ratna for Ram Vilas Paswan.
The buzz in Bihar is that despite the coup by Pashupati Paras last week, Chirag Paswan is still seen as the real leader of the party by the Paswan community, who comprise six per cent of the voting population in Bihar.
Despite a split in the LJP, Chirag, the son of party founder Ram Vilas Paswan, still retains an advantage, according to his supporters. Paswan has claimed that he enjoys the support of more than 90 per cent of the national executive members.
This has not only been the talking point in the party but also the opposition bloc, including Lalu Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal, which has already sent feelers to Paswan Junior.
BJP leaders also admit that supporting Chirag Paswan's uncle Paras may prove costly for the party in Bihar. Paswan voters are by and large with Chirag, they say pointing to the feedback they got from Dalit legislators and leaders of the party.
