Decision soon whether to fight Jharkhand assembly poll under NDA or alone: Chirag Paswan
New Delhi, Oct 7: Union minister Chirag Paswan on Monday said his Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) wants to fight the assembly election in Jharkhand and a final decision will be taken soon on whether it would contest under the NDA alliance or alone.
Paswan said he met Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday where the upcoming state assembly election in Jharkhand was discussed. He said the meeting was very positive.
"I met Home Minister Amit Shah yesterday. We discussed the current political situation in the country and also the upcoming assembly elections. Jharkhand was also discussed," Paswan told reporters here on the sidelines of a FICCI event.
Paswan, who is the Union food processing minister, said his party did not fight the assembly elections in Haryana and J-K which were held recently, but supported the BJP.
"Jharkhand mein bhi meri soch yahi hai ki hum log NDA ke saath mil kar chunav ladein. (I am of the view that we should fight Jharkhand assembly election under the NDA alliance)," Paswan said, adding that a final decision will be taken in 2-4 days.
Elections to the 81-member Jharkhand assembly are due later this year, and the dates are expected to be announced soon.
"The state party unit wants to fight. Let's see, whether we fight under the alliance or alone, how the situation emerges. I had a very positive meeting with the Union Home Minister. The scenario will be clear within the next few days," he said.
Asked how many seats his party has sought, Paswan said he will not make it public, conforming with the coalition principles.
On exit poll results of Haryana and J-K, he expressed confidence that the NDA will form the government.
Regarding the demand for Bharat Ratna for his late father Ram Vilas Paswan from certain sections, the minister said as a son he has always wished for this honour.
"Koi cheez agar maang ke mili toh kya mili," Chirag said, adding that his father would "definitely one day get the respect he deserves and that too without seeking".
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
