Amid factional fight in Lok Janshakti Party, Sanjay Saraf, a leader of the faction led by Pashupati Kumar Paras, has said that the party got "weak" when Chirag Paswan was the chief of the party.
"Chirag should understand that Pashupati Kumar Paras is now national president of LJP. The elections in the party were to be held in 2020 which were postponed due to the demise of Ram Vilas Paswan. According to the constitution of LJP, an election is to be held every five years. We had an election in 2015. In 2019, Ram Vilas Paswanji made Chirag ji national president for one year," Mr Saraf told ANI.
"The decisions made by Chirag Paswan made the party weak. Chirag should understand that party is like a family. We have worked hard for this party. His decisions have affected our support base," he added.
Mr Saraf, whose Twitter profile describes him as LJP spokesperson and general secretary, also said that Chirag Paswan has no role in any decision about LJP 's representation in the union cabinet.
"Chirag Paswan has no right to take a call. Paras ji is the national president of LJP as well as chairman of the party's parliamentary board. It will be his decision," he said.
Mr Paras is seen to have indicated willingness to be part of the union government.
Earlier this month, Mr Paras, the younger brother of LJP founder Ram Vilas Paswan was recognised as the leader of LJP in Lok Sabha in place of Chirag Paswan after five of the six-party MPs gave a letter in his support.
After Mr Paras was elected as new party president by the faction led by him, Chirag Paswan had said that the election was "illegal" as it was conducted by members of the LJP who were suspended from the party.
Ram Vilas Paswan passed away in October 2020.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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