In December last year, while announcing the seat-sharing among the NDA allies for Bihar, BJP chief Amit Shah had categorically promised a Rajya Sabha berth to ailing LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan who expressed his wish to stay from elections citing his age-related problems.

Barely three months later, 72-year-old Paswan faces pressures from the BJP leadership to set aside his “vow” and join the Lok Sabha elections from his home Hajipur seat— the seat which once brought him to international limelight. The pressure to reconsider his decision mounts on Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Paswan after a recent survey conducted by the BJP revealed the NDA may lose this seat to its rival if Paswan stays away from the contest.

Highly placed sources said Paswan had decided to field his younger brother Pashupati Kumar Paras, state party president and a minister in the Nitish Kumar government, from the Hajipur seat, considered his pocket borough while himself planning to keep busy as NDA star campaigner in the elections. However, the new development has worried Paswan since he was not in touch with the voters for the past several months and had been visiting his constituency just to make his ritual presence.

“He (Paswan) is being asked to file his nominations from the Hajipur seat and make a few tours of his constituency while the rest will be taken care of by the NDA leaders,” a senior LJP leader said wishing not to be quoted. According to BJP leaders, Paswan’s stature is too high while his suitable replacement is completely missing now.

Paswan has continued representing the Hajipur seat for most of the time since 1977 except for facing occasional electoral reverses in 1984, 1991 and 2009. He faced the last two defeats at the hands of Ram Sundar Das, a socialist leader who died in 2015. At the same time, Paswan holds the world record of winning this seat with a huge margin of 4.24 lakh votes which sent him straight into the Guinness Book of World Records.

But the latest development indicates how the coming LS contest is going to be tougher for the NDA with the major opposition parties coming together to take on BJP led NDA. Although a formal seat-sharing among the Grand Alliance partners is yet to be announced, they are understood to have reached the seat-sharing agreement and a formal announcement is likely to be made in the next 24-48 hours.

The major leaders, such as RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi, Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha, Vikashseel Insan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahni and Sharad Yadav are already camping in Delhi to seal the alliance deal.