Son Of Soil: Chirag Paswan

The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief and steel, chemicals and fertiliser minister, busy with securing his party elsewhere, has roped in his son to help out in his traditional constituency Hajipur, about 25 km from the state capital Patna.

So Chirag, who is in his 20s, has been traversing the roads of Hajipur in the scorching son, requesting people to vote for his father and promising to turn Hajipur into a hub of prosperity.

Chirag, who accompanied his father when he filed his nomination April 1, has been fielding the obvious question — some angry youths asked him why Hajipur had not been done well all these years although Paswan had been representing the constituency since 1977.

The LJP is looking to Chirag to make the job easier for Paswan.

“His long hair and designer clothes are hot topics among villagers,” a LJP leader said, adding that he was proving to be a crowd puller in rural and semi-urban pockets in Hajipur.

Last month, filmmaker Prakash Jha, who has made critically acclaimed films like “GangaaJal” and “Apaharan” and is the LJP candidate from West Champaran in Bihar, said Chirag had Bollywood potential.

“Chirag is a very gifted boy. He’s tall and good-looking and ideal hero material. He has also been training hard for a career and is not taking the golden spoon in his mouth lightly.”

Chirag’s debut film “50-50″ is currently in the pre-production stage. He has also made it clear that he was more keen on a film career than politics.

But as he goes about the constituency, on the fertile northern banks of the Ganges and with plenty of banana plantations, asking for votes with folded hands, the genes come into play. He seems pretty much the seasoned politician.

“Chirag is doing hard work by seeking votes and support for Paswanji,” a LJP legislator said.

The party is hoping fervently that it all translates into votes as well.