Paswan happy for brother contesting LS poll from Hajipur

I am happy that my brother and Lok Janshakti Party's (LJP) state unit chief Pasupati Kumar Paras has replaced me as the party candidate in Hajipur for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls, said Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan here on Saturday.

Speaking to media persons, Paswan said: "I am very attached to Hajipur. That is why I chose my elder brother for this seat. I am sure that he will work for the development of the people residing in the region."

The Union Minister also clarified that this time he will not be contesting Lok Sabha elections. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Paswan won from Hajipur seat defeating Congress candidate Sanjeev Prasad Toni by a margin of 2,25,500 votes.

"People of Hajipur had created pressure that Pashupati must contest the election from this seat. At first, Pashupati was not ready and urged me to request my wife to contest the polls. But after too much pressure from the people, he agreed to contest from Hajipur."

Out of 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, LJP has got six seats. Of these six seats, three seats will be contested by Ram Vilas Paswan's family members. His son Chirag will contest from Jamui, while another brother Ram Chandra Paswan is being fielded from Samastipur seat that he won in 2014.

Veena Devi will be contesting from Vaishali and Chandan Kumar will be fighting for Nawada Lok Sabha constituency seat. The party has not announced the name of the candidate for Khagaria seat.

Bihar is one among those states of the country which will go for polling during all the seven phases of Lok Sabha Elections.

In Bihar, the different constituencies will see elections on April 11, 18, 23, and 29 and May 6, 12 and 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.