Patna: The battle for the Hajipur Lok Sabha constituency in the 2024 polls is poised to be interesting as both sitting MP Pasupati Kumar Paras and his estranged nephew Chirag Paswan have laid claims to it.
While Chirag Paswan marked the 77 birth anniversary of his late father Ram Vilas Paswan in his traditional constituency in Hajipur and announced that he will contest from this seat in 2024, his uncle and Union Minister Pasupati Kumar Paras said that he will also contest from there only.
Paras also said that if Chirag Paswan would contest from here, he will not even save his deposit.
Both Chirag Paswan and Paras are claiming to be political successors of LJP founder Ram Vilas Paswan,who was elected from this seat with the record margins since 1977.
Hajipur is a seat reserved for the SC community, and has a large number of Pasi (Paswan) and Dalit communities, especially in assembly constituencies such as Rajapaker, Patepur, Hajipur, Mahua, and Mahanar.
This was the only reason why late Ram Vilas Paswan was so successful here. He has lost just one parliamentary election in 2009 in his long political career but was elected again in 2014.
Hajipur is also known as the stronghold of RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, especially the Raghopur Assembly constituency. Tejashwi Yadav was elected from it in both 2015 and 2020. Besides, his elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav was also elected from Mahua seat in 2015.
The NDA is facing an anti-incumbency factor in Bihar and it is expected to reflect in the poll scenario in Hajipur as well. However, Chirag Paswan is poised to get sympathy votes and is eyeing the traditional vote banks of Paswans and Dalits.
During the celebration of Ram Vilas Paswan birth anniversary in Hajipur, he became sentimental while remembering his father at the statue located at Paswan Chowk near the circuit house in Hajipur.
Ram Vilas Paswan’s two wives were also present and they also supported Chirag Paswan.
Ram Vilas Paswan has a trusted vote bank and after his demise, people believe that Chirag Paswan is his only successor. It was reflected in several by-polls in Bihar held after 2020 and the popularity of Chirag Paswan has increased higher than any other leaders including of BJP, and the RLJP headed by Pasupati Kumar Paras.
Even the BJP top leadership also think that Chirag Paswan is crucial for the NDA in 2024 to shift the Dalit and Paswan voters in his favour. Hence, it will not afford to make Chirag Paswan unhappy at a time when anti-incumbency is looming on the head of the Narendra Modi government and opposition parties are getting united.
There is also buzz that the Narendra Modi government may include Chirag Paswan as a Union Minister in the last cabinet expansion of his second tenure. Chirag Paswan has blamed Paras for splitting the party and is not ready to compromise with him at any cost.
His stand has made life difficult for Paras, who has 5 MPs on his side, but none of them, including him, have the same stature as Chirag Paswan.
(IANS)
