As the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) held a mock voting drill on Sunday ahead of the Presidential poll on Monday, one surprise participant was LJP-Ram Vilas chief Chirag Paswan, though he says he is no longer part of the grouping.

Chirag Paswan on Sunday too insisted that he was not part of the National Democratic Alliance and would only decide political tie-ups when the next elections approach.

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Coming out of the meeting, he said that his party had decided to support Draupadi Murmu, a woman from the most deprived section of society (Schedule Tribes) who was contesting for the country’s top post, for which elections will be held on Monday, and the meeting was called for explain the voting process.

Asked why he was still a part of the NDA, he said attending one meeting did not make him a part of the alliance

He said that his party was engaged in strengthening its organisation and public outreach, and will decide on electoral alliances for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and the 2025 Bihar Assembly polls close to that time. He asserted that of today, he is not with the NDA, or the UPA or the Mahagatbandhan.

Chirag Paswan was the national President and the Parliamentary party leader of the Lok Janshakti Party set up by his father Ram Vilas Paswan. However, he had chosen to fight the 2020 Bihar Assembly polls solo, complaining against Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal-United. However, his party was virtually wiped out and his uncle Pashupati Paras took control over both the party and the parliamentary party. The Paras faction is recognised as the LJP and Paras is a Union Minister.