PATNA/ NEW DELHI: Amid BJP quashing rumours of a tacit understanding with LJP in the Bihar polls, Chirag Paswan on Friday reiterated his affection for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Earlier in the day, several BJP leaders including Union I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar slammed LJP for misleading the people of Bihar. Making it clear that LJP is not part of NDA in Bihar, the Union Minister described the Paswan-led party as a “vote-cutter”.

Refraining from attacking BJP, the Jamui MP contended that JD(U) was unnecessarily worried that LJP would use the PM’s photo during the election campaign. Maintaining that he was PM Modi’s “Hanuman”, Paswan opined that the former’s photo was in his heart. He added that he was ready to “tear open his chest” to prove this. Referring to Nitish Kumar’s leaving the NDA in 2013 and joining hands with RJD in 2015, the LJP president taunted that the Bihar CM required to use the PM’s photo as he had consistently attacked him in the past.
Chirag Paswan, lately facing an open backlash from ally BJP to his criticism of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, said today that he felt “hurt” at comments by BJP leaders but insisted that his goal remained to establish a government with the BJP after elections in the state.

The LJP leader, warned off by the BJP against using Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s image in his campaign, also described himself as “Hanuman” to the PM’s Ram. “I don’t need photos of PM Modi. He is in my heart. Much like Hanuman’s devotion for Ram, if you cut open my heart you will find only Modi-ji,” Chirag Paswan, 37, declared dramatically. It was Nitish Kumar who needed the PM’s photos more, he sneered, since he was “insecure”.
For the Bihar election, the BJP has decided to side with Nitish Kumar, though it says Chirag Paswan remains an ally at the centre. Yesterday, Mr Paswan said he had shared his intention to fight Nitish Kumar with BJP leaders including Amit Shah. He also let loose a fresh set of barbs at the Chief Minister, calling him arrogant and accusing him of insulting his father.
“Chirag Paswan has chosen a separate path in Bihar; he is trying to mislead people by taking the names of senior BJP leaders. We don’t have any B or C team. NDA will get three-fourth majority. Chirag’s party will be left as a vote-cutter party,” Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said today.
Another BJP leader, Bhupinder Yadav, said: “Chirag Paswan’s comments on the NDA and Nitish Kumar are extremely unfortunate. He contested the Lok Sabha election as part of this alliance and became an MP. In February he was praising the Bihar government to the skies! What happened in six months? Because of his vested interests, he is indulging in the politics of lies.”
The LJP leader also responded to the JDU’s taunt on using Nitish Kumar for his Lok Sabha campaign last year. “The JDU’s leaders opposed us during the campaign. Everywhere we were betrayed – in Jamui, Hajipur, Vaishali and Nawada. My father used to call the Chief Minister everyday, until we realized Nitish Kumar was telling people to defeat LJD.

(With Bureau Report ).

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