The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) commemorated a significant milestone on Friday as it celebrated the 25th foundation day of the original unified Lok Janshakti Party in Patna. The event came at a time when the party is riding high on its impressive performance in recent elections across Bihar.
Political Celebration Amid Electoral Success
Buoyed by its strong showing in the recent Bihar assembly elections and last year's Lok Sabha polls, the party gathered its members for a grand celebration. The party secured 19 seats in the assembly elections and five seats in the parliamentary polls, marking one of its best performances in recent years.
The celebration, however, missed the physical presence of party chief and Union minister Chirag Paswan, who couldn't attend due to a severe eye infection. Despite his absence, Paswan addressed the gathering remotely through phone, connecting with party MPs, newly elected MLAs, office-bearers, and workers who were present at the event.
Chirag Paswan's Sharp Criticism of RJD
In his address, Chirag Paswan launched a strong attack on the Lalu Prasad-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), accusing the party of fostering social division. He drew a clear distinction between his party's approach to politics and that of the RJD.
"Our M-Y stands for 'Mahila and Yuva' (women and youth community), while their M-Y consists of Muslim and Yadav, which is meant to divide society along caste and communal lines," Paswan stated emphatically. He credited women and youth voters for the party's strong performance in the assembly elections.
The LJP won 19 seats after contesting 29 under the seat-sharing arrangement, making this its second-best performance ever. The party's best performance remains the February 2005 assembly elections when it secured 29 seats. Historically, during that period, the party had neither supported the RJD nor the NDA in the hung House, leading to the imposition of President's Rule, dissolution of the assembly, and fresh polls.
A Message of Humility and Commitment
While thanking party workers for their efforts in achieving electoral success, Chirag Paswan urged them not to allow "arrogance" to creep in. He emphasized the increased responsibility that comes with their significant victory.
"The party touched a new height not only at the national level but also at the state level, for which all the party workers deserve kudos. But with the big win, big responsibility has also fallen on our shoulders," he cautioned.
Paswan described the electoral mandate as "people's blessings" and asked party members not to let ego take hold after the victory. He called on party legislators and workers to prioritize public issues and serve beyond their immediate constituencies.
"You not only need to focus on the constituencies you represent but also on those which fall in the other districts," he advised, urging them to uphold social justice and inclusive growth while rising above caste and communal considerations.
The Union minister also reaffirmed his commitment to advancing the ideology of his late father, Ram Vilas Paswan, who established the party to ensure social justice and equality of rights and opportunities for the people. "Today, wherever he is, he must be happy that we have taken the party to new heights," Paswan concluded emotionally.
