Chirag's party resolves to make 'decisive presence' felt in all Bihar assembly seats

Patna, Jun 12 (PTI) Union minister Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) on Thursday resolved to make its decisive presence" felt across all 243 seats in the upcoming Bihar assembly elections.

A resolution to this effect was passed here after the state executive meeting of the party, which has, in the recent past, raised the hackles of NDA partners by proclaiming its national president as the "next chief minister".

Besides the cryptically worded resolution, there were six others, at least three of which indirectly attacked the Nitish Kumar government by alleging that "Bahujans", a term used for deprived castes, especially Dalits, were getting a raw deal in the state.

The resolutions highlighted a "frightening rise in the incidence of crimes against Bahujan samaj" in the state, their deprivation from benefits of welfare schemes and scholarships and affirmed that the party "will not limit itself to issuing political statements but give voice to mute sufferers".

Another interesting resolution declares that on June 29, the party will hold a "Bahujan Bhim Sankalp Samagam" at Nalanda, an obvious show of strength on the home turf of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who heads the JD(U).

Notably, his party's belligerent stance notwithstanding, the Hajipur MP has maintained that he was getting deeply involved in state politics only to improve the "strike rate" of his own party and the NDA at large, and not with an eye on the seat of power.

The balancing act was evident in the resolution speaking of "decisive presence" in all the assembly seats as the party made it clear that it would use its "full strength" in seats with LJP(RV) candidates in the fray and offer its "full support" in constituencies where its allies were in the fight.

Besides the BJP, JD(U) and LJP(RV), the NDA in Bihar includes two smaller parties, Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha and Rashtriya Lok Morcha of Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha.

The state executive meeting of LJP(RV) was attended, among others, by Jamui MP Arun Bharti, a brother-in-law of Paswan who is the party's in charge for polls in Bihar. PTI NAC BDC