Patna: Union minister Chirag Paswan on Thursday asserted that the opposition INDIA bloc has begun “looking for excuses” for its “certain defeat” in the upcoming assembly polls in Bihar.
The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president made the remark when reporters sought his response to the RJD, Congress and Left combine protesting against the special intensive revision of electoral rolls, ordered by the Election Commission.
“The INDI alliance knows that it cannot stand up to the NDA in Bihar where we are a winning combination. So it has begun to search for excuses, well in advance, for the defeat it is certain to face in November,” Paswan said.
“I would like to call the bluff of the RJD, which gloats over having won the largest number of seats in 2020. It had won most of those seats where we had fielded our candidates against the official nominees. This time, things are different and the opposition stands no chance,” he claimed.
Paswan, who then headed the Lok Janshakti Party founded by his late father Ram Vilas Paswan, had revolted against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in the previous assembly polls, causing the JD(U)’s tally to plummet.
The Hajipur MP was speaking outside the Raj Bhavan, where he had come to invite Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan for a function here later this week.
“We will celebrate the birth anniversary of my late father and my idol on July 5 when a function will be held at his ‘karmabhoomi’ Hajipur. Later in the day, there will be another function in Patna for which an invitation has been extended to the Governor,” he said.
Paswan said the Patna function will be held under the aegis of the Bihar International Trade Organisation (BITO), “a Bihari diaspora group which supports our party and has a presence across more than a dozen countries”.
“BITO supports our party’s ‘Bihar First Bihari First’ mission. I have been to many of its chapters abroad. They are planning to set up a university in Bihar. Details will be shared at the function,” he said.
The Union minister also expressed delight over Prime Minister Narendra Modi being conferred with the highest civilian award in Ghana.
“It fills my heart with pride. I think no other world leader has received honours from as many countries as our PM,” added Paswan.
