Bihar assembly election | Won't allow hate speech in poll campaign, focus on local issues instead: Chirag Paswan

Lok Janshakti Party chief Chirag Paswan (Image: Twitter.com/@ichiragpaswan)

LJP chief Chirag Paswan has said hate speech will not be allowed during the poll campaigning in Bihar, while disapproving remarks by several BJP leaders during the recently concluded Delhi Assembly elections.

The Lok Janshakti Party is a key coalition partner in the BJP-led NDA, and the founder of the party Ram Vilas Pawan is a Union minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet.

Chirag Paswan said hate speeches could have reduced the NDA’s chances of winning in Delhi, and that local issues should be given priority during state polls, The Times of India has reported.

He told the newspaper, “Hate speech should be avoided. They were not needed in Delhi polls. We should have focused on what we delivered or would deliver rather than over-emphasizing on Shaheen Bagh and other negative issues.” He added that his party would not support any such effort.

“All involved in poll campaigning must follow decency. What we saw in Delhi was perhaps the worst in any election. State polls should be fought on local issues and the campaigning should not cause irreparable damage and foster personal enmity,” Chirag further said.

His statement comes as the LJP starts preparations for contesting in the upcoming Bihar elections, as well as the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls.

The BJP had given one ticket to LJP from the Seemapury assembly constituency (a reserved seat) during the Delhi election. However, AAP won from the seat with a margin of 56,000 votes over LJP.

Chirag said the support that his party received from the people, it seemed that NDA would make a major comeback in Delhi. “But when we held a review on Thursday, we understood that people voted for work,” he said.