Ousted as LJP chief, Chirag convenes parallel executive to expel 5 rebel MPs

NEW DELHI: Hours after Chirag Paswan, son of late Union Minister and party founder Ram Vilas Paswan, was removed as LJP President in an emergency meeting on Tuesday by the five rebel MPs, he held a parallel executive committee meeting virtually where it was decided to expel the five MPs for anti-party activities.

Earlier in the day, Chirag Paswan was removed from the post of LJP President in an emergency meeting, party sources said.

The principle of "One Man, One Post" was invoked by the rebels, led by his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras, to remove him from the post, the sources said.

The removal of Chirag Paswan from the top party post came a day after five of six party MPs — Paras, Chandan Singh, Chaudhury Mehboob Ali Kaiser, Beena Devi, and Prince Raj — undertook a coup and removed him as the LJP leader in the Lok Sabha.

Sources said that Suraj Bhan will function as working President until a new President is elected in a national executive meeting, which is expected soon in the coming days. The parallel executive, chaired by Chirag Paswan, passed a resolution expelling the five MPs.

"The National Executive Committee has unanimously decided to remove Pashupati Kumar Paras, Beena Devi, Chandan Singh, Chaudhary Mehboob Ali Kaiser and Prince Raj from the primary membership of LJP with immediate effect," said the resolution, according to a release by LJP General Secretary Abdul Khaliq said.

"The National Oresident of LJP Chirag Paswan is authorised to take all decisions in the coming assembly elections on behalf of the party,"it said.

Earlier in the day, Chirag Paswan likened the party to a mother who should not be "betrayed". Paswan also shared a six page letter he had written to Paras, the youngest brother of his father, on March 29 in which he had highlighted his uncle's unhappiness over a number of issues, including his elevation as the party President. He also discussed how Paras did not attend the party functions despite being invited and was not available for any suggestions.

The LJP was founded by Chirag Paswan's father Ram Vilas Paswan, who passed away in October last year. (IANS)

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