Ram Vilas Paswan is a parliamentarian from Hajipur constituency (File)
Highlights
- Asha Paswan is youngest daughter from Ram Vilas Paswan's first wife
- Her husband Anil Sadhu had unsuccessfully contested the 2015 Bihar polls
- He has been angry with Mr Paswan after reportedly being cold shouldered
Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan's daughter Asha might contest against her father in the 2019 Lok Sabha election if she gets a ticket from Lalu Yadav's party, the RJD, her husband said on Friday.
Anil Sadhu, who is married to Asha, Mr Paswan's daughter from his first marriage, also accused the LJP, his party, of treating members of scheduled castes as bonded labourers and claimed there was widespread resentment against Mr Paswan within his own caste group.
Mr Paswan has backed only his son Chirag Paswan whom he got elected to the Lok Sabha and appointed as the chairman of the party's parliamentary board, Mr Sadhu told regional news channels, adding his daughters from his first marriage have always got a raw deal.
Asked whether he or his wife would like to contest against Mr Paswan or Chirag in the next Lok Sabha polls, Mr Sadhu said "both of us are ready to take up the challenge, provided Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi Yadav agree to give us tickets".
Ram Vilas Paswan is a parliamentarian from Hajipur (reserved) constituency and his son Chirag Paswan represents Jamui (reserved) parliamentary seat. His younger brother Ramchandra Paswan is a Lok Sabha member from Samastipur (reserved) seat.
Pashupati Kumar Paras, another brother of Mr Paswan, is a minister in Nitish Kumar's cabinet.
When contacted, Mr Sadhu told PTI that their willingness to take on Mr Paswan was "not because of family feud but it's a fight for our maan-samman (honour)".
He said his wife was not available for comments as "she is attending some ailing relative out of Patna".
He, however, claimed she is of the same opinion as he has on the issue.
Asha Paswan is youngest of the two daughters from Mr Paswan's first wife and she is a housewife.
Mr Sadhu, son of four-time former Bihar legislator Punit Rai, claimed he had a talk with both Lalu Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav during which he expressed desire to take on father-in-law in 2019 poll on the party's ticket.
Mr Sadhu had unsuccessfully contested the 2015 Bihar polls from Masaurhi assembly seat on LJP ticket.
Mr Sadhu has been venting his anger against his father-in-law after having reportedly been cold shouldered. He was seen at an RJD function earlier this year which triggered speculation about his future political move.
Leaders in the LJP and the RJD have declined to comment on Mr Sadhu's latest outbursts.