LJP sacks party leader for saying NDA is intact

Triggering speculation, the LJP sacked a district president of the party on Wednesday for stating that the ruling National Democratic Alliance in Bihar is intact, as it asserted that a final decision on the matter will be taken by its president Chirag Paswan. The Lok Janshakti Party said in a statement that it believes that no other leader should speak on the alliance as a final decision has been left to Paswan. The statement by Raghvendra Bharti, who is the LJP's chief of Munger district in Bihar, is in "contravention" of this instruction, the party said, adding that he has been removed from his post.

The development has triggered speculation as assembly polls are due in the state in a few months. The LJP is an ally of the BJP and the JD(U) in Bihar. Paswan has been critical of the state government headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over a range of issues but has so far refrained from attacking the BJP.

He has been in fact vocal in praising the BJP-led government at the Centre. His father and party founder Ram Vilas Paswan is a Cabinet minister in the central government. The party has in past allied with parties of contrasting ideological persuasions. It was long an ally of the Congress and Lalu Prasad's RJD before it tied with the BJP in 2014. 

(Image credits: PTI)