Chirag Paswan gets invite for NDA meeting, he skips for 'health reasons' as JD(U) protests
New Delhi, Jan 30: The BJP had invited Lok Janshakti Party president Chirag Paswan to attend the NDA meeting on Saturday to discuss the ruling bloc's agenda for the Budget session of Parliament, but the JD(U)'s protest to the move is likely to have prompted him to skip the event.
LJP sources said Paswan did not attend the virtual meeting due to health reasons, and noted he had also skipped the all-party meet held earlier in the day.
The invite to Paswan from Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi to the meeting of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies assumes significance as this made it clear that the LJP remains a member of the National Democratic Alliance despite walking out of the alliance in Bihar during the state assembly polls.
JD(U) spokesperson K C Tyagi put on record his party's stand against the LJP, telling PTI that it does not consider Paswan's party a member of the NDA.
"The LJP had worked against the NDA's official candidates in the assembly elections. It did not work merely against the JD(U) but also against candidates of the BJP and two other allies -- Vikassheel Insaan Party and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular). This caused a lot of harm to the NDA.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi had himself said (during the polls) the NDA in Bihar is working under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's leadership and this includes VIP and HAM. Therefore, we do not consider the LJP a part of the NDA," Tyagi said.
Sources said the resentment within the NDA over the decision to invite Paswan to the meeting prompted its top leaders to dissuade him from attending the meeting.
A JD(U) leader, who did not wish to be named, claimed that the invitation was "withdrawn" but there was no confirmation to this from the BJP, the principal NDA constituent.
Former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi-led HAM, which is close to the JD(U), condemned the decision to invite the LJP to the NDA meeting.
"This is not appropriate at all. The LJP stabbed the NDA in the back during the polls. Manjhi Ji will now decide whether to continue to stay in the NDA," party spokesperson Danish Rizwan said.
The LJP had walked out of the NDA in Bihar last year due to its opposition to Nitish Kumar and contested the state assembly polls on its own. It put up candidates in all the seats where the JD(U) was in the fray while largely spared the BJP except for a few seats.
Though the LJP could win only one seat in the Bihar polls, it inflicted serious damage on the JD(U), whose tally fell to 43 from 71, triggering a backlash from Kumar's party, with some of its leaders questioning if Paswan could still be in the NDA at the Centre.
A vocal supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Paswan has maintained that he remains an ally of the BJP at the Centre.
Senior leaders of the saffron party had also criticised him for fielding candidates against the JD(U) in the Bihar polls.
The invite to Paswan for the NDA meeting indicates that the BJP, which has lost a few key allies, continues to see the LJP, which was founded by towering Dalit leader Ram Vilas Paswan, as a partner.
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Heavy rain, hailstorms likely to lash Uttarakhand on Tuesday; IMD issues warning
Dehradun/Pithoragarh (PTI): The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for heavy rain and hailstorms across several districts of Uttarakhand on Tuesday, as temperatures remained markedly below normal in the region.
Heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat, and Udham Singh Nagar districts. Most places across all districts are expected to receive light to moderate rain or thunderstorms, while higher reaches are likely to witness snowfall, officials said on Monday.
The weather department warned of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, hail and intense spells of rain in six districts, including Dehradun and Nainital. Gusty winds with speeds reaching 40-50 kmph are also expected at isolated locations in these areas and other hilly districts.
In the state capital, Dehradun, the sky is forecast to remain partly cloudy with light rain and thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds of 30-40 kmph.
The maximum and minimum temperatures in the city are expected to hover around 31 degrees Celsius and 19 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Maximum temperatures during the past 24 hours remained markedly below normal in the hills and appreciably below normal in the plains. While no significant change in temperature is expected over the next 2-3 days, the IMD predicts a rise of 3-5 degrees Celsius during the subsequent 3-4 days.
Rainfall was recorded in several areas after 8.30 am today, with Ramnagar receiving 31.5 mm and Nainital recording 26.5 mm. Other areas, including Pithoragarh, Khatima and Champawat, also reported moderate precipitation.
Authorities have stopped a batch of 36 Adi Kailash pilgrims at the Dharchula base camp and placed the high-altitude yatra route on high alert following heavy rains and hailstorms in the district on Monday.
Dharchula SDM Ashish Joshi said the pilgrimage was halted due to adverse weather conditions. The issuance of new inner-line passes has been suspended until the weather normalises.
With 1,700 passes issued so far, pilgrims already at higher camps are being monitored for safety, the official added.
