Union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras on Sunday asserted that he was the "political successor" of his elder brother Ram Vilas Paswan, whose son Chirag could lay claim "only" to the financial assets (sampatti) of the late leader.

Paras made the averment here in reply to queries from journalists about his relationship with his nephew, against whom he had raised a banner of revolt two years ago and split the Lok Janshakti Party floated by his late brother.

"I will explain why I call myself the political successor of 'bade saheb'. He started off as an MLA from Alauli in Bihar in 1969 and gave up the seat in 1977 upon becoming the MP from Hajipur. He asked me to contest from the assembly seat and I followed his orders though I was in a government job," said Paras, who now represents Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Sabha seat.

The Union minister, who made his parliamentary debut in the Lok Sabha polls of 2019, when his brother announced his decision to opt for the Rajya Sabha, claimed that it was at "bade saheb's insistence" that I had to move to Delhi, despite not being very keen to do so.

"I was initially reluctant. I had even suggested that beta (son - Chirag) or bhabhi ji (sister in law - Chirag's mother) be considered as the Hajipur candidate.

"I was having a great time in Bihar, serving as a minister in the Nitish Kumar government and heading the LJP state unit. But 'bade saheb' was insistent. The massive wave in support of the NDA had still not picked up and he was of the view that only I could retain his seat for the party. I had made no secret of my unwillingness to enter the fray even during the campaign," said Paras.

He also noted that it was a "glorious coincidence" to have learnt about his induction in the Union cabinet from the home minister on the day of Paswan’s birth anniversary.

"Inside Parliament, I am allotted the very seat that he used to occupy while he was a Union minister," said the minister for food processing.

Paras categorically ruled out the possibility of a rapprochement with Chirag, asserting that had it been a crack merely in the party it could have been mended but “the chasm exists between our hearts".

"As a son, he (Chirag) may inherit the wealth of his father. But it is me who is the political successor (rajneetik varis)," he maintained.

He bristled when his attention was drawn towards speculations that the nephew, who has reaffirmed loyalty towards the BJP after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's exit from the NDA, could be rewarded with a berth in the Union council of ministers.

"Please be informed that there can be no expansion or reshuffle of the Union council of ministers. At least not till the polls to assemblies in a few states in the northeast were held and the ongoing Parliament session was over," he said.

Paras, while talking to reporters, also said it was unbecoming of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to have uttered "ask my deputy" in response to queries about cabinet expansion.

Responding to questions from journalists on speculations about a state cabinet expansion and the demand by Congress for two more berths, Kumar had said on Saturday, “You people ask this question to the deputy CM." Paras, in a jibe at Kumar, said, "It shows that he is no longer the powerful CM under whom we had worked. It is his deputy, Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD, who calls the shots. Even the Congress, a junior alliance partner, has expressed disappointment with Nitish Kumar's stance."

"It seems Tejashwi Yadav, too, has some difficult choices to make. Although nobody would be a match to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the RJD will have to decide whether it will be backing Rahul Gandhi or Nitish Kumar in the 2024 polls," added Paras.

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