Hours after a meeting between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas (LJP-R) chief Chirag Paswan, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President JP Nadia on Monday confirmed that Paswan has joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The development comes as both the BJP and the Opposition are set to hold a show of strength on Tuesday with meetings of their own coalitions.
Paswan had been in talks with the BJP for some time and was looking forward to finalise a seat-sharing arrangement for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
In a tweet in Hindi, Nadda sąid that Paswan has decided to join NDA and he welcomes him in the bloc.
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He said, "Met Mr Chirag Paswan Ji in Delhi. He has decided to join the NDA coalition led by Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji. I welcome him in the NDA family."
Earlier on Monday, Paswan said the meeting with Shah on "coalition-related matters" was "positive".
The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), founded by Paswan's father Ram Vilas Paswan, witnessed a split into two factions after its founder's death in 2020. At the time, the LJP was in an alliance with the BJP and had contested six Lok Sabha seats in the 2019 elections and also received a Rajya Sabha seat for Ram Vilas Paswan as part of the seat-sharing agreement. Following Ram Vilas Paswan's death, the party split into two factions led by Chirag Paswan and his uncle Pashupati Paras.
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Paras leads the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) faction, which is already a part of the NDA, and is a Union minister at the moment.
Chirag Paswan wants the BJP to stick to the same arrangement as in 2019 despite a division in his party, reported PTI earlier.
Chirag Paswan also wants the BJP to concede to him the Hajipur Lok Sabha seat, a pocket borough of his father for decades but currently represented by Paras in Parliament, reported PIT, adding that his uncle has also staked claim to the seat, asserting that he and not Chirag is the late leader's political heir.
The BJP has also been working to bring about a rapprochement between the two sides, with Union minister Nityanand Rai meeting Paras, reported PTI. Rai has lately held two meetings with Chirag Paswan as well.
