Chirag dodges queries about prospects at Centre; continues tirade against Nitish

Lok Janshakti Party chief ChiragPaswan on Tuesday dodged queries about the likelihood of hisjoining the Union council of ministers, in which his party hasbeen left with no representation following the death of hisfather Ram Vilas Paswan.Paswan, however, remarked tongue in cheek that thegovernment at the Centre was doing fine and it was the Biharcabinet headed by Nitish Kumar where ministers were saddledwith too many portfolios and an expansion was much needed.The LJP chief was talking to reporters upon his visitto the state after a long time.

Lok Janshakti Party chief ChiragPaswan on Tuesday dodged queries about the likelihood of hisjoining the Union council of ministers, in which his party hasbeen left with no representation following the death of hisfather Ram Vilas Paswan.

Paswan, however, remarked tongue in cheek that thegovernment at the Centre was doing fine and it was the Biharcabinet headed by Nitish Kumar where ministers were saddledwith too many portfolios and an expansion was much needed.

The LJP chief was talking to reporters upon his visitto the state after a long time. His father, who had foundedthe party two decades ago, died in October last year and inthe ensuing by-election to his Rajya Sabha seat, the BJP choseto field its veteran leader and former Bihar deputy chiefminister Sushil Kumar Modi.

Paswan had said that the seat, though held by hisfather, ''belonged to the BJP'' to which he professes to remainloyal despite having pulled out of the NDA ahead of theassembly elections last year.

His party had claimed that the young leader wasexpecting a berth in the Union council of ministers since theparty's rebellion had damaged Nitish Kumar's JD(U) but helpedthe BJP emerge as the ''big brother'' in the NDA in Bihar.

On Monday, Kumar had hinted that expansion of the newcabinet, which was formed in November, was likely in nearfuture. His remark came a day after he met top leaders of thestate BJP at his official residence where differences arisingout of contesting claims by alliance partners have supposedlybeen ironed out.

Nonetheless, Paswan squarely blamed Kumar for thedelay in cabinet expansion and alleged that the chief ministerhas of late been too busy with the affairs of his party whichhas undergone a major overhaul.

Kumar himself relinquished the post of the nationalpresident, more than a year before the end of his tenure, andgot his close aide RCP Singh appointed in his place.

A couple of weeks later, veteran socialist leader andRajya Sabha MP Vashishtha Narayan Singh also expressed thedesire to step down citing old age and unstable health. FormerMLA Umesh Kushwaha was appointed to the post.

The developments have been seen as an attempt by Kumarto consolidate his support base among the Kurmi-Koeri-Kushwahacaste combine, known as ''Luv-Kush'' in Bihari politicallexicon, in a bid to retain sufficient bargaining power whilenegotiating with the BJP which appears to have gained an upperhand.

Paswan, who has in less than a year emerged as one ofthe most virulent detractors of Kumar, however, charged thatall this showed that ''the party, and not the state, is the toppriority for our chief minister''.

''This is happening at a time when law and order is ina mess and the chief minister holds the Home portfolio. Evenwell-heeled, well-connected people are being murdered,'' Paswansaid in an apparent reference to the recent killing of RupeshKumar Singh, a senior official of a private airline, which hastriggered shock waves in Patna and outrage among politicalfigures many of whom he was said to be friends with.

The LJP chief, however, said, ''We have made it clearthat we will not be doing anything drastic till this newgovernment completes six months. Thereafter, taking intoaccount its achievements and failures, we will launch ourprogramme.'' PTI NACACD ACD