Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) quits NDA: Pashupati Kumar Paras announces breakup with alliance

Former Union Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras made a significant political announcement on Monday, stating that his party, the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP), will no longer be part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). He made this announcement during a program organized on the occasion of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar's birth anniversary in Patna. Paras said that he had been in political cooperation with the NDA since 2014, but now he is parting ways with this alliance because the NDA has supported his nephew Chirag Paswan's party, while his party was completely overlooked.

In his address, Paras said that the NDA gave five seats to Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) headed by Chirag Paswan for the Lok Sabha elections, while his (Paras) party did not get a single seat from NDA. For this reason, he first resigned from the post of Union Minister and now has announced to formally break ties with the NDA.

In his speech, Paras remembered his late brother and senior Dalit leader Ram Vilas Paswan, calling him the "second Ambedkar" and demanding that he be awarded the Bharat Ratna. He said that Ram Vilas Paswan struggled all his life for the upliftment of Dalits and backward classes and the country should not forget his contribution.

It is worth noting that Pashupati Kumar Paras had separated from Lok Janshakti Party in 2021 and founded Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP), while Chirag Paswan formed Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) in the name of his father.

Clarifying his political stand, Paras also launched a scathing attack on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Terming Nitish as anti-Dalit, he said that during his reign, the education system of Bihar has completely collapsed and no major industry has been established in the state. He alleged that due to corruption, no welfare scheme is being implemented properly in the state.

Paras also said that he has recently visited 22 out of 38 districts of Bihar and has got an idea of the sentiments of the people. He claims that the people of the state now want a new government. In the end, he also announced that he will strengthen the party in all 243 assembly seats of Bihar and set a new political direction.Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) quits NDA: Pashupati Kumar Paras announces breakup with alliance