The Lok Janshakti Party faction, headed by Chirag Paswan, on Tuesday expelled his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras and four other MPs who have revolted against him, PTI reported. This came soon after the rebel leaders removed Paswan as the national president in an emergency meeting of the LJP national working committee.

In a day of dramatic developments, the faction led by Paras made Suraj Bhan Singh as working president, the Hindustan Times reported. They authorised Singh to convene a meeting of party’s national council within five days to elect a new president.

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Chirag Paswan was removed on the party’s principle of “one man, one post”, said the rebels, according to NDTV.

Paras ousted Paswan as the leader of the party in Lok Sabha on Monday. Paswan took over as the party chief in 2019. He is the son of Ram Vilas Paswan, who died on October 8, 2020.

Chirag Paswan’s supporters, meanwhile, blackened posters at the party office in Delhi and tried to take over the building, which also serves as Paras’s house.

Chirag Paswan also reacted to the coup against him for the first time. “I tried very hard to keep the party formed by my father and my family united, but I failed,” he said. “Party is like a mother and we must never betray our mother. People are above all else in a democracy. I thank those who had faith in the party.”

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Apart from Paras, who is the party MP from Hajipur constituency, the rebel group includes Prince Raj, Chandan Singh, Veena Devi and Mehboob Ali Kaiser.

Paras on Monday defended the rebel politicians, saying that the five of them had decided to save the party. He also claimed that 99% of the LJP workers were unhappy with the change of the party’s status in Bihar and the poor performance in the Assembly elections last year. Paras also said that Chirag Paswan could continue to remain in the party.

Reports speculated that Paras has decided to merge the LJP with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United). However, he dismissed any such possibility on Monday.