Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan has decided to join the NDA alliance under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, BJP chief JP Nadda announced on Monday. Nadda, who met Chirag Paswan in Delhi, welcomed him into the “NDA family”.
The development comes a day ahead of the ruling National Democratic Alliance meeting. Paswan also met Home Minister Amit Shah and described his discussion on the issues related to the alliance with BJP as “positive”.
“Had a positive discussion with the country’s Home Minister respected Shri Amit Shah in New Delhi on issues related to the alliance,” Paswan said in a tweet after meeting Shah.
Later, Shah said in a tweet that he and Paswan had an extensive discussion about Bihar politics.
Union minister Nityanand Rai, a senior BJP leader from Bihar, had earlier met Paswan twice.
The meeting in the national capital will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The meeting of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is being organised to mark the completion of 9 years of the central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The LJP (Ram Vilas), significantly, is in alliance with the BJP at the Centre.
It even holds a seat in the Lok Sabha, the Lower House of Parliament
Reacting to the BJP’s invite to the NDA meeting, the LJP (Ram Vilas) chief said a final decision on attending the NDA meeting or formally joining the ruling alliance at the Centre ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha elections will be taken after holding consultations with all party leaders and workers.
“We will take a final decision (on joining the NDA) after consulting all the party leaders and workers. We have supported BJP on various issues from time to time, but the final decision on whether to go to the NDA meeting or join the alliance (ahead of the Lok Sabha polls) will be taken after holding discussions with all party leaders,” Chirag Paswan told ANI on Saturday.
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.
With agency inputs
Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
Updated: 17 Jul 2023, 07:37 PM IST