LJP (Ram Vilas) chief and candidate for the Hajipur Lok Sabha seat, Chirag Paswan, criticized the Opposition INDIA bloc on Wednesday, claiming the alliance lacks both a leader and a coherent policy to win public support.
Speaking to ANI, Paswan argued that the INDIA alliance’s sole aim is to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which he believes is insufficient for the country’s development. “INDIA bloc has neither a leader nor any policy. Their priority is to defeat PM Modi, and it can’t be a vision for the development of the country,” he said. He added, “Just to defeat a person, you (parties in the INDIA alliance) have done everything possible and compromised your principles, policies, and everything to join together.”
Paswan questioned why anyone would support an alliance without a clear vision beyond defeating PM Modi. In response to Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi’s accusation that PM Modi misleads people by bringing religion into politics, Paswan countered that it is actually the leaders of the INDIA bloc who discuss religion-based reservations. “Everyone knows who misleads in the name of religion. Why do appeasement politics start during the elections?” he asked.
Priyanka Gandhi had recently alleged that the BJP, unable to showcase its work from the past decade, resorts to invoking Gods and Goddesses for votes. She stated at a rally in Kangra, “The BJP tries to topple the elected government with its money power. MLAs were being lured with Rs 100 crore offers each. The Prime Minister of the country has the responsibility of maintaining democracy and building morality. PM Modi asks for votes in the name of Gods and Goddesses.”
Under the INDIA alliance in Bihar, the RJD is contesting 26 seats, Congress nine, and the Left parties five out of the state’s 40 Lok Sabha constituencies. In the NDA, the BJP will contest 17 seats, JD-U 16, LJP (Ram Vilas) five, and Hindustani Awam Morcha and Rashtriya Lok Morcha one each in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Bihar, with its 40 Lok Sabha constituencies, plays a significant role in Indian politics. In the 2019 elections, the NDA, including BJP, JD-U, and LJP, won 39 out of 40 seats, while the Mahagathbandhan, led by RJD, Congress, and RLSP, secured only one seat.
