'Let me enjoy the moment', says LJP chief Chirag Paswan after deciding to go solo in Bihar

"Let me enjoy the moment," the Lok Janshakti Party(LJP) President Chirag Paswan said after the party announced that it will not contest the upcoming Bihar elections in alliance with Janata Dal (United). A resolution has also been passed for a LJP-BJP government at the Central Parliamentary Board meeting headed by LJP chief Chirag Paswan currently being held in Patna.

Flashing a victory sign after a meeting of the party's central parliamentary board at his residence, he said: "I will not speak more but we will win the battle." However, the party has clarified that their differences are with the JDU and not the BJP. 

"At the national level and in Lok Sabha elections, Lok Janshakti Party shares a strong alliance with BJP and our candidate will fight the election against JDU on some seats," Abdul Khaliq, national general secretary, LJP said.

Earlier on Thursday, Chirag Paswan held seat-sharing talks with BJP president J P Nadda, eyeing to contest as many as 143 seats in the upcoming polls. Sources say that LJP which contested on 42 seats but won only 2 in 2015, maybe forced to settle for 30 seats. LJP is reportedly unhappy with the re-entry of Jitan Ram Manjhi in the NDA.The Bihar assembly polls will be held in three phases on October 28, November 3, and November 7, and the counting of votes will take place on November 10.

READ: Bihar Elections 2020: LJP won't contest under CM Nitish Kumar's leadership; future unclear

LJP vs JDU before Bihar elections

Chirag Paswan has targeted CM Nitish Kumar a number of times on various issues including alleged COVID mismanagement. JDU on the other hand has compared Chirag to 'Kalidasa' who chops the branch of the tree on which he is sitting. Earlier, JDU leader KC Tyagi said that any party which is a part of the NDA in the state will have to accept Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's leadership, noting that top BJP leaders, including Amit Shah and its president JP Nadda, have announced that the alliance will fight the upcoming Bihar assembly polls under Kumar's stewardship.

Responding on the same, in a statement, LJP said that Tyagi has done them a 'favour' by making it clear that the two parties have never had any alliance. "We welcome this statement from the JDU that his party has never had an alliance with the LJP. JDU leader KC Tyagi has done us a favour," the LJP said in a statement. Moreover, Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said that he will stand firm with his son Chirag in every decision of his because he knows Chirag will work for a better future of Bihar.

READ: Bihar polls: LJP chief Chirag Paswan may withdraw support to Nitish Kumar govt say sources