Pashupati Kumar Paras eager to be the part of INDIA bloc in Bihar
Mr. Paras said that seat-sharing would also be finalised soon, but did not disclose the number of seats his party was eager to contest. He pointed out that winning candidates should get the tickets.
Addressing the media at the party office, Mr. Paras said, 'Tejashwi Yadav ji is leading the INDIA bloc in Bihar, and I had a talk with him. This week, we are again going to sit together to discuss the Assembly election. I am sure, whatever will happen, it will be good.'
He answered in the affirmative when asked about claiming any seats in Vaishali district, which was a strong bastion for the undivided LJP earlier led by his elder brother and former Union Minister, the late Ram Vilas Paswan.
'Of course, we will surely stake a claim on the Assembly seat in Vaishali district. These things would be discussed when we sit for the formal talk over the seat distribution as part of the INDIA bloc. At present, there is a great need for change in leadership in Bihar, and we will give our winning candidates after the talk with the alliance partners. The winning candidates should get the ticket,' he said.
Reacting to the number of seats his party was eager to get, the former Hajipur MP said, 'I have travelled across the State and I received a very good response. At present, we cannot reveal in front of media about the number of seats, but let me assure you that everything would be discussed at the right platform. No political parties or alliance partners have announced the seat sharing. Let others announce, we will also do.'
Mr. Paras denied rumours that RJD supremo Lalu Prasad was not giving him time to meet. He said that he had visited Mr. Prasad at the latter's house on the occasion of Makar Sankranti and attended an Iftar feast hosted there as well.
'These are just rumours, I have very good family relation with Lalu ji and family since 1977,' he added.
Party's standing
Officially, Mr. Paras's RLJP is not yet part of the INDIA bloc, which consists six parties in the State — RJD, Congress, Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India (CPI).
Since April 7, the INDIA bloc leaders have already held four meetings, with the last one being on June 12; RLJP was invited to none of those meetings.
Sources in the RJD camp said that Mr. Paras was demanding 10 to 15 seats, whereas Mr. Yadav was not willing to offer more than two seats.
April 14, Mr. Paras had officially announced that he would not be a part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and that he was attempting to join the INDIA bloc.
On July 5, RLJP announced that it was going to organise a grand celebration on the birth anniversary of the party's founder Ram Vilas Paswan at the party office in Patna.
Party's Central Parliamentary Board president Suraj Bhan Singh, State president Prince Raj Paswan, national general secretary and former MP Chandan Singh, national spokesperson Shravan Kumar Agarwal were also present at the press conference.
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