I am political heir to Ram Vilas Paswan, not Chirag, says Paras

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Chirag Paswan joining the NDA, his uncle and Union food processing minister Pashupati Kumar Paras has reiterated he is the real political heir to Ram Vilas Paswan. «When my brother Ram Vilas Paswan was alive, he asked me to contest from Hajipur, his constituency, and not Chirag Paswan. He made me his political heir.

How can Chirag now stake claim on the Hajipur seat?» Paras told ET. «There is too much media hype about Chirag's popularity, but the ground reality is different.» Paras said his Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) won one MLC seat even after Chirag Paswan put up a candidate. He also accused Paswan of hobnobbing with the RJD in Bihar.

«He (Paswan) was trying to forge a deal with the RJD. Everyone noticed that while he attacked Nitish Kumar, he always called Lalu Prasad his guardian and Tejashwi Yadav his younger brother. Once the RJD and JDU came together last year, he started bonding with the BJP once again.» The BJP had asked Paswan to campaign for its candidates in the state assembly bypolls.

«The media reported that Chirag Paswan was asked by the BJP to campaign for the party. But it did not see that I too was campaigning for the NDA in all the bypolls,» said Paras. He said in the wake of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, he was approached by the BJP to bury all differences with Paswan.