Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Union Minister and Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) president Pashupati Kumar Paras has asked its alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to allot seats to his party members adding if this is not done then doors are open for them.
"...We had a meeting of our Parliamentary Board today. The members have decided that unless all the BJP's lists (of candidates) are released, we urge their national president, Prime Minister and Home Minister to consider all five of our MPs. We will await the list. After the announcement, if we are not given due respect, our party is independent and our doors are open. We will be ready to go anywhere," said Pashupati Kumar Paras.
Pashupati Kumar Paras holds the portfolio of Food Processing Minister in the Modi Cabinet.
Pashupati Kumar Paras said that he will contest from the Hajipur Lok Sabha seat and this stand has been conveyed to the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The assertion from the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party that it will contest from Hajipur came a day after another LJP faction headed by Chirag Paswan indicated that its leader will fight from the seat with support from the BJP.
Shravan Agarwal, the spokesperson of the Paras-led group, said the Union minister will contest from Hajipur as he is the incumbent MP.
"We have conveyed this view to the BJP," he said following a meeting of the party's leaders.
The RLJP has been solidly supporting the BJP and the national party should back its claim, he added.
Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan said on Wednesday that his party had finalised a seat-sharing formula with the BJP for the Lok Sabha polls and all his "concerns" were addressed.
Following a meeting with BJP president JP Nadda, Paswan said he was satisfied with the talks, an indication that the ruling party favoured his claims over those of his uncle Paras.
Sources said Paswan's party may contest on five of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar.
Paswan's cousin, MP Prince Raj who is affiliated to Paras, said in a post on X that his party is an unbreakable part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is their leader.
"His (Modi) decision is paramount for us," he said.
With inputs from PTI
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