Every party wants him to be on its side, asserts Chirag Paswan at Bihar rally
Patna, Mar 10: Former Lok Janshakti Party president Chirag Paswan on Sunday asserted that every party wants him to be on its side, indicating he could tilt towards the one that offered a better bargain.
Paswan, an NDA ally, has been getting feelers from the Mahagathbandhan', the opposition coalition in Bihar.
Addressing a rally in the Sahebganj assembly segment, Chirag dropped ample hints that he was weighing his options and could tilt towards the side with a better bargain.
"I can see the posse of media persons here who are anxious to know whom Chirag Paswan is aligned with. I wish to tell them that Chirag Paswan is aligned only with the people of Bihar," said the young leader, who has often sworn by his loyalty towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi, likening him to Lord Ram and himself to Lord Hanuman.
"Every party, every coalition wants Chirag Paswan to be on its side," he said, adding that this was because people were enamored with his "Bihar first Bihari first" vision that seeks to pull the state out of chronic backwardness.
In his speech, he made yet another attempt to project himself as true heir to his late father Ram Vilas Paswan, calling himself "sher ka beta".
He refrained from mentioning by name bete noires in the NDA, Nitish Kumar, the Bihar chief minister who heads the JD(U), and Union minister, uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras, who split the late leader's party.
The young leader, however, spoke at length about the "conspiracies" he had to face, "aimed at breaking my home, my family and my party, though I have demonstrated that Chirag Paswan cannot be cowed down".
The rally at Sahebanj under the Vaishali Lok Sabha seat, which the LJP won in the last two elections, is being seen as a fresh attempt by Paswan to claim his father's legacy, after having earlier declared that the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), a splinter group that he now heads, will contest Hajipur, which the late leader had represented several times.
Predictably, the nephew's offensive has not got down well with Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) headed by Paras, who is the sitting MP from Hajipur, and has made it clear that he will seek re-election from the seat.
RLJP spokesman Shravan Agrawal said, "There is no question of our giving up Hajipur or any of the other four seats our party holds. We are sure our claim will be honoured by the BJP as we are the NDA's natural allies. Why else are they (Chirag's party) getting an offer from the other side, but nobody dares to approach us with such enticements".
While no Mahagathbandhan' leader has said on record what was the "offer" made to Paswan, sources in the coalition, which includes the Congress, RJD and three Left parties, said he could be accommodated with "more than six seats".
The LJP had, in 2019, fought six seats, winning all of those, though the two splinter groups may have to settle for a much smaller number this time, especially in view of the fact that the NDA has brought into its fold two smaller parties, the Rashtriya Lok Morcha of former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha and Hindustani Awam Morcha of ex-CM Jitan Ram Manjhi.
Moreover, Nitish Kumar, who had quit the NDA for a brief period, is also back in the coalition, and is understood to be adamant on his share of 17 seats, the number fought by the JD(U) five years ago when it won all but one.
BJP leaders said on the condition of anonymity that the feud between uncle and nephew is a thorn in the flesh, as the party cannot afford to lose Chirag, who enjoys mass appeal, but also does not wish to turn its back on Paras, whom it made a Union minister after Paswan senior's death and behind whom all other LJP MPs had rallied when the party split up in 2021.
However, one of the MPs, Veena Devi, who represents Vaishali, recently announced that she was back in Chirag's camp. She was also present at the Sahebganj rally.
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Devine’s all-round brilliance trumps Nandini’s hat-trick as GG edge DC by 4 runs
Navi Mumbai (PTI): Nandini Sharma’s maiden hat-trick went in vain as Sophie Devine starred with a breathtaking 95 and a superb final over under pressure to steer Gujarat Giants to a thrilling four-run win off the last ball over Delhi Capitals in a Women’s Premier League match here on Sunday.
This was Gujarat Giants' second win on the trot, while DC slipped to their second loss.
Sent in to bat, Giants opener Devine smashed seven fours and eight sixes in her 42-ball knock, adding 94 runs for the opening wicket with Beth Mooney (19) to set the platform.
Skipper Ashleigh Gardner kept the momentum going with a brisk 49 off 26 balls, but Nandini turned the tide with remarkable figures of 5 for 33, including a hat-trick, as Gujarat were bowled out for 209.
Chasing a stiff target, opener Lizelle Lee struck a scintillating 86 off 54 balls, studded with 12 fours and three sixes. She put on 41 runs with Shafali Verma (14) before adding 90 off 55 balls with Laura Wolvaardt (77 off 38) to keep Delhi firmly in the hunt.
Once Lee was dismissed by Kashvee Gautam (1/48) in the 15th over, Rajeshwari Gayakwad removed Chinelle Henry (7) to leave Delhi at 146 for three.
Needing 64 off the last 25 balls, skipper Jemimah Rodrigues (15) joined Wolvaardt as the pair plundered 58 runs in 23 balls to bring the equation down to seven off the final five deliveries.
Devine then returned to the spotlight, dismissing both batters and conceding just two runs in the final over to seal a dramatic win.
Earlier, Devine set the tone early, striking three fours off Chinelle Henry before taking Nandini apart with two fours and a six in the fourth over. She was particularly severe on Sneh Rana, hammering two fours and four successive sixes in an over that yielded 32 runs and powered Gujarat Giants to 80 without loss in the powerplay.
The New Zealander brought up her half-century in just 25 balls before Shree Charani broke the opening stand with a sharp caught-and-bowled effort in the ninth over to remove Mooney. Devine briefly regained control, hitting Charani for three sixes, but fell in the 11th over bowled by Nandini Sharma.
Skipper Ashleigh Gardner kept Gujarat Giants on course with a brisk 49 off 26 balls, smashing four boundaries and three sixes to take the side past the 200-mark.
Jemimah Rodrigues pulled off a fine catch to dismiss Georgia Wareham (3), while Henry removed Gardner and Bharti Fulmali (3).
Nandini then capped a memorable outing by picking up four wickets in the final over, including three off the last three balls, to complete her maiden hat-trick.
