Absence from Sitamarhi raises eyebrows, Chirag dismisses talk of rift in Bihar NDA
The Sitamarhi event was attended by key NDA figures, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Opposition members quickly seized on Paswan's absence, particularly notable after he was a prominent presence during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visits to poll-bound Bihar. The Opposition suggested the absence was indicative of a larger fracture within the alliance and that Paswan was being deliberately sidelined.
Paswan rejected the claims and said the Opposition's narrative was baseless. 'I was in Sitamarhi, but due to the weather conditions, the programme was preponed, and I had a prior commitment in Patna. Since there was a road jam due to the rain, by the time I reached Sitamarhi, the programme had already ended… and I could not make it to the stage in time,' he explained.
Congress Spokesperson Gyan Ranjan Gupta, meanwhile, alleged that 'Paswan's exclusion from the ceremony was due to his Dalit identity.' Gupta said the 'same thing was noticed at the time of Ram Mandir inauguration, where President Murmu was not invited.'
Paswan, however, said the Opposition was trying to spread confusion. The LJP (RV) leader said that due to his past, such speculations are 'rolled out very easily'.
'In 2020, Chirag did this, so this time too, Chirag is going to do the same. Absolutely not. Chirag is not going to do that this time,' he said.
During the last Bihar Assembly elections, Paswan's party had contested independently, fielding 134 candidates. While the then LJP managed to win only a single seat, it had dented the JD(U)'s tally in several constituencies.
Paswan said the Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) became the largest party in 2020 only by benefiting from his split from the NDA, and that the party was trying to create similar conditions ahead of the 2025 elections.
'Even at that time, if the NDA had stayed united like it is today, which seats would they have won? They only won those seats where Chirag Paswan contested alone,' he claimed.
He further said that his earlier criticisms of the Bihar government were not rooted in rebellion but in genuine concern for the people of Bihar. 'Those who see rebellion in my statements, that is not rebellion. Those are my concerns. And from time to time, within the alliance, I have made efforts to ensure that the concerns of the people of Bihar are given due respect,' he said.
Just a few weeks ago, Paswan had ruffled feathers within the NDA, particularly among JD(U) leaders, by saying, 'I feel sad to support a government under which crime is completely out of control.'
However, in his recent remarks, Paswan reasoned that his concerns about crime have slowly brought the system 'under control' again.
Shifting his tone, particularly regarding the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, he said, 'Criminals tried to suddenly raise their heads and create chaos, but gradually that came under control… I have always had faith in my Chief Minister that it is possible only under his leadership. The people of Bihar have not called him Sushasan Babu (Good Governance Man) for nothing. But yes, the Opposition still wants that, in any way possible, some rift appears in the NDA,' Chirag said.
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