Referring to the internal feud in the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday said that Parliament does not run by any political party's constitution.
Briefing mediapersons, the Lok Sabha Speaker said, "Choosing a parliamentary party leader is an internal matter of political parties. If a party follows the due procedure to chose the parliamentary party leader and the chief whip submits a letter informing the same, then the decision is to be recorded. The decision (of recording Pasupati Kumar Paras as the parliamentary party of LJP) was appropriate as there were signatures of five MPs and the letter of the chief whip."
Asked about reconsidering the decision on this matter, Birla said that, "He (Chirag Paswan) submitted a letter claiming he is the national president. he mentioned his points regarding his party's constitution. Let me make clear, the Parliament does not run on any party's constitution."
LJP MP Chirag Paswan had stated that he believes LS Speaker Om Birla was not aware of their party's constitution and that is why he declared his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras as the Leader of the parliamentary party.
Paswan is opposing his uncle Pashupati Nath Paras election as the national president in Patna by the rebel faction of LJP.
Chirag Paswan was replaced as Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) national president on Thursday by his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras, party MP Chandan Singh said.
On Sunday, Pashupati Kumar Paras, the younger brother of LJP founder Ram Vilas Paswan along with five other MPs met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and handed over a letter to him seeking removal of Chirag Paswan as party chief and as the Lok Sabha Parliamentary party leader.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla accepted Paras as the floor leader of the LJP in the lower house. In a revised list of floor leaders of parties on Monday Paras was listed as the Lok Sabha LJP leader.
On Wednesday, Chirag Paswan too wrote to Birla stating that the decision of announcing Pashupati as leader of LJP in the Lower House was contrary to the provisions of the party's Constitution. Chirag also requested the Lok Sabha Speaker to issue a new circular in his favour as leader of LJP in the House.
On Thursday, after the rebel faction of the LJP elected unopposed Paras as the new party president, Chirag Paswan had said that the election was illegal as it was conducted by members of the LJP who were suspended from the party.
"LJP's national president is elected by the party's national executive which has around 75 members. Only 9 members were present at the national executive meeting. Suspended members have elected my uncle as the president, which is illegal," Paswan had said.
Meanwhile, the newly-elected Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) national president Pashupati Kumar Paras on Friday, said that his election to the top post was completely valid under the party's constitution, refuting Chirag Paswan's claim to the contrary.
"According to party's constitution, Chirag Paswan is neither LJP's national president nor the Leader of the parliamentary party now. Yesterday's election was completely valid under party's constitution, of which he is not aware," Paras told ANI.
The fallout between Paras and Chirag Paswan has been attributed to a range of issues including the former's dissatisfaction with his nephew's decision to break away from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NA) in the Bihar election.
LJP was formed by former Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan in 2000. Paswan, a heavyweight leader in Bihar politics, passed away in October 2020.
( With inputs from ANI )
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