By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: Union Minister Chirag Paswan arrived in Patna on Saturday, where he addressed reporters at the airport regarding the recent deaths caused by poisonous liquor in Bihar. He described the incidents as tragic and commended the government for establishing a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the matter, assuring that action would be taken against those found guilty. He noted that this time, the Bihar government is committed to enforcing strict measures.
Paswan stated that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is personally overseeing the investigation into the deaths linked to toxic alcohol. When questioned about the recent seat-sharing arrangements within the NDA alliance in Jharkhand, where his party has been allocated one seat, he mentioned that the party’s in-charge for Jharkhand, Arun Bharti, is currently in Ranchi, and discussions are ongoing on various issues, with clarifications expected by evening.
Furthermore, he confirmed that his party will not contest the by-elections in Uttar Pradesh. In the state, the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) will instead focus on supporting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as well as offering support in Maharashtra. In Bihar, LJP remains committed to the NDA alliance and will work to support it in the upcoming elections. Paswan emphasised that the party will contest only in Jharkhand.
He acknowledged that the Uttar Pradesh state committee had submitted a proposal for the party to participate in elections there; however, this proposal was rejected by the parliamentary board. “The LJP will not contest by-elections in Uttar Pradesh. We will contest only in Jharkhand and support the NDA in by-elections in other states,” he affirmed.
