Seat sharing with BJP finalised for LS polls in Bihar, all 'concerns' addressed: Chirag Paswan
New Delhi (PTI): Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan said on Wednesday that his party has finalised a seat-sharing formula with the BJP for the Lok Sabha polls and all his "concerns" were addressed.
Following a meeting with BJP president J P Nadda, Paswan was lavish in his praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders of the ruling party as he expressed satisfaction at the offer given to him, a change from his recent muscle-flexing as the alliance talks dragged on.
Sources said Paswan's party may contest on five of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar.
Hajipur seat, currently represented by his estranged uncle and Union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras who heads another LJP faction, might be given to Paswan as he considers the constituency a part of his rightful share due to his father Ram Vilas Paswan's long association with it. The LJP founder and stalwart Dalit leader represented Hajipur eight times in Lok Sabha.
"Division of Lok Sabha seats in Bihar among all NDA parties decided. It will soon be formally announced. All my concerns have been addressed by the BJP. I am satisfied," Chirag Paswan said.
Asked about the fate of the faction headed by Paras, Paswan said it was not his concern.
"The seats my party has are mine," he said, in an indication that the claims of the Paras-headed National Lok Janshakti Party might have been ignored by the BJP.
With Paras serving as a Cabinet minister in the Union government, sources said the BJP will not like him to go against the ruling alliance and may accommodate him in some other capacity.
However, a close aide of Paras claimed that his faction, which has four MPs including him, will explore its options as he vented anger against the BJP over its deal with Chirag Paswan.
Amid claims and counterclaims by the two LJP factions and the BJP's apparently failed bid for a rapprochement following Ram Vilas Paswan's death in 2020, his younger brother Paras had walked away with four other MPs of the party due to their differences with Chirag Paswan, who remained the only MP in his faction.
However, the Jamui MP was successful in galvanising his party's core supporters around his leadership, making the point to the BJP that he is the political heir to his father's legacy.
One of the MPs of the Paras faction recently crossed over to the Chirag Paswan-led group.
Following Paswan's assertion after talks with Nadda, Paras went into a huddle with his supporters at his residence here as his party weighed its options for the polls.
Though the BJP and the Janata Dal (United), the second biggest party in the National Democratic Alliance in Bihar, have made no official comments, sources said they may contest around 17 and 16 Lok Sabha seats respectively. Two other smaller allies may be given one seat each.
Paswan exuded confidence that the NDA will be able to win all 40 Lok Sabha seats from Bihar.
Asked about his differences with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who heads the JD(U), he said all NDA constituents are working to achieve the target of crossing 400 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
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NIA court to complete framing of charges against 2010 hand-chopping case accused on May 15
Kochi (PTI): A special court here will complete proceedings for framing charges against the prime accused in the 2010 hand-chopping case involving professor T J Joseph, in which PFI activists were accused of attacking him at Muvattupuzha.
Ernakulam Special Court for NIA cases judge P K Mohandas, on April 30, heard the arguments of counsel for accused Savad and Shafeer C and decided to proceed with framing charges against the duo.
A group chopped off Thodupuzha Newman College professor Joseph's right hand in July 2010, accusing him of religious blasphemy in a question paper he had prepared.
The case, later taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), resulted in the conviction of 19 accused.
The first accused, Savad, who allegedly chopped off Joseph’s palm, was arrested in Berram in Mattannur, Kannur, in January 2024, where he had allegedly been hiding under the pseudonym Shajahan.
The NIA also arrested Shafeer, who allegedly arranged shelter and provided logistical support to Savad at Chakkad and Mattannur in Kannur since 2020.
On April 30, the court heard the counsel for the accused and the NIA prosecutor on framing charges against the duo.
"On going through the documents and evidence in the case and on hearing the counsel for the accused and the prosecutor, I am of the opinion that there are grounds for presuming that the first accused has committed offences punishable under provisions of the IPC, the Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and that the second accused has committed offences punishable under the IPC and the UAPA, and there are materials for framing charges under these provisions against the accused," the court said.
The court directed that Savad be produced and Shafeer, who is on bail, appear before it on May 15 for recording their pleas as part of the charge-framing process.
After framing the charges, the court will schedule the trial in the case.
