Ram Vilas Paswan's Nephew Becomes Party's Bihar Chief After Bypoll Win

Prince Raj (Left) defeated Congress candidate Ashok Kumar in the bypoll at Samastipur reserved seat.

Newly elected Lok Sabha MP from Samastipur- Prince Raj- was on Friday appointed as the Lok Janshakti Party's new chief in Bihar, replacing his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras, also a member of Parliament.

The appointment was made by Lok Janshakti Party president and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan, Chirag Paswan, the party's central parliamentary board chairman and MP, announced at a press conference.

Prince Raj, son of Ram Chandra Paswan, trounced senior Bihar Congress leader Ashok Kumar in the bypoll at Samastipur reserved seat, result of which was declared on Thursday. The by-election was necessitated due to death of Ram Chandra Paswan.

Chirag Paswan was taking care of the LJP's Bihar unit after election of Pashupati Kumar Paras from family's pocket borough Hajipur reserved parliamentary constituency in the general election.

With a view to strengthen party's organisational structure keeping in mind the 2020 Bihar assembly election, the LJP president has also appointed several others especially youths to head various cells in the state unit, Chirag Paswan told reporters.

Party MPs - Veena Devi (Vaishali) and Chandan Kumar (Nawada) - will be heading LJP women's cell and youth wing in Bihar respectively, he said.

Party's spokesman Ashraf Ansari has been chosen as state minorities' cell chief while Sanjay Paswan will head Dalit Sena, an organisation floated by Mr Paswan.

Notwithstanding NDA's poor showing in the bypoll on five assembly seats which saw only one JD(U) nominee winning, Chirag Paswan, an MP from Jamui (SC) Lok Sabha seat, asserted that the ruling coalition would win 225 assembly seats in the 243-member Bihar assembly in the next election.

"The party's organisation will be strengthened further with youths heading party's various frontal organisations in Bihar unit. We will prepare for party's organisational structure keeping in mind the 2020 assembly polls.

"We will be able to register victory in assembly poll just on the lines of Lok Sabha election when the NDA won 39 out of 40 seats. We will be aiming to win more than 225 seats," Chirag Paswan said.

Prince Raj and all other newly appointed office bearers thanked the party national president and Chirag Paswan for their selection and resolved to strengthen the party's organisational structure.