Patna (Bihar) [India] July 4 (ANI): Union Minister Chirag Paswan weighed in on the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen's (AIMIM) recent attempt to join the Mahagathbandhan on Friday. AIMIM's Bihar president, Akhtarul Iman, had written to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Yadav requesting inclusion in the opposition alliance.

Speaking to reporters, Paswan criticised the RJD's reliance on the Muslim vote bank, stating, 'The Muslim vote that RJD and its leaders believe they have a hold over is already fragmenting. If there hadn't been a division in the last assembly elections, how would Owaisi ji's party MLAs have won?'

He questioned how AIMIM's MLAs would have won without the division in the last assembly elections, highlighting the erosion of the MY (Muslim-Yadav) equation that RJD had leveraged to promote communalism and casteism.

'The MY (Muslim-Yadav) equation, with the help of which RJD was moving ahead by promoting communalism and casteism.Today, the people of the same community are realising that they are being made a mere vote bank... now they don't want to let themselves be used,' Paswan added.

On the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) prospects in Bihar, Paswan expressed confidence, saying, 'NDA will make government in Bihar with an all-time high, and the Chief Minister will decide the roles in that. LJP will play a major role in this.'

He clarified that while the Lok Jan Shakti Party (Ram Vilas) would play a significant role in the government, he wouldn't be vying for the Deputy Chief Minister's post. 'But I will not be a candidate for Dy CM post. It will belong to those who worked hard to bring the party to this position...' Paswan stated.

Earlier, Union Minister Chirag Paswan slammed RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and dismissed his claims of state administration 'forcibly' gathering people for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally, saying the RJD had no moral ground to speak of public welfare.

'The 90s decade proves who misused the public money. The 90s were a decade in which the people of Bihar had to leave their homes, villages, and businesses and leave Bihar.'He emphasised that under the current administration, there has been a positive shift. 'Gradually, reverse migration has started in Bihar. Around 25 lakh people have returned to Bihar after COVID-19... This is a double-engine government, not a jungle-raj...' (ANI)