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Union Minister Pashupati Paras tendered his resignation from the Modi cabinet on Tuesday, a day after the BJP finalized a seat-sharing agreement with his estranged nephew Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Bihar.
Expressing gratitude to the Prime Minister, Mr. Paras cited perceived injustice faced by his party as the reason for his resignation. “The NDA alliance has been announced. I am grateful to the Prime Minister. My party and I faced injustice. So I am resigning as minister,” he stated.
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar announced its seat-sharing formula on Monday, allocating 17 seats to the BJP, 16 to the JD(U), and five to Chirag Paswan’s LJP (Ram Vilas).
Additionally, the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Morcha will each contest one seat.
Notably, Pashupati Paras’s LJP faction was not included in the seat-sharing deal. Bihar BJP chief Samrat Choudhary mentioned ongoing discussions with Paras, suggesting a potential resolution.
Earlier indications from Paras suggested that he might withdraw his party’s support from the ruling NDA if the seat allocation did not meet his expectations. The reported snub by the BJP, ignoring the claims of the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party chief over several Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, including Hajipur, likely contributed to his decision.
