Chirag Paswan meets Amit Shah; describes discussion 'positive'

New Delhi: A day ahead of the ruling National Democratic Alliance meeting, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) Chirag Paswan met Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday as his party looks to seal its seat-sharing arrangement with the BJP for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

LJP (R) sources expressed confidence about a "positive outcome" of the meeting, indicating that Paswan will attend the BJP-led NDA get-together on Tuesday.

"Had a positive discussion with the country's Home Minister respected Shri Amit Shah in New Delhi," Paswan said in a tweet after the meeting.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="hi" dir="ltr">आज नई दिल्ली में देश के गृह मंत्री आदरणीय श्री <a href="https://twitter.com/AmitShah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AmitShah</a> जी से गठबंधन के मुद्दों को लेकर सकारात्मक चर्चाएं हुई। <a href="https://t.co/zwrV91J92B">pic.twitter.com/zwrV91J92B</a></p>&mdash; युवा बिहारी चिराग पासवान (@iChiragPaswan) <a href="https://twitter.com/iChiragPaswan/status/1680911899876278274?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Paswan is in talks with the BJP for finalising his party's share of Lok Sabha seats in Bihar for the 2024 general elections, and the meeting is being seen as part of that exercise.

Union minister Nityanand Rai, a senior BJP leader from Bihar, had earlier met Paswan twice.

The undivided LJP under late stalwart Dalit leader Ram Vilas Paswan, Chirag's father, had contested six Lok Sabha seats in 2019 and also received a Rajya Sabha seat as part of its seat-sharing deal with the BJP.

The young leader wants the BJP to stick to the same arrangement despite a division in his party, with another faction, Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party, headed by his uncle and Union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras already a part of the ruling alliance.

Chirag Paswan has emphasised on clarity from the BJP about his share of Lok Sabha and also assembly seats in Bihar before formalising their alliance, sources in the LJP (R) said.

He 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. 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 Rai meeting the Union minister as well.

Even though Paras got the support of all other four MPs of the party besides Paswan, his nephew is seen to have largely succeeded in inheriting the support of the vote bank loyal to his father.

Since the split with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United), the BJP has been keen to bring Paswan back to its side as it works to bolster its strength in the politically crucial state.

Paswan had walked out of the NDA during the 2020 assembly polls in the state due to his opposition to Kumar, then a BJP ally. He has, however, been supportive of the BJP on key issues.