Chirag likely to contest Bihar assembly polls

Amid the rising voices from his party to contest upcoming Bihar assembly polls, Lok Janshakti Party ( Ram Vilas) president and Union minister Chirag Paswan is in all likelihood going to contest the polls scheduled later this year, as per top sources in the party.

“ Yes, it is there. The LJP(RV) president is likely to contest the state assembly polls. It is taking shape and things would come up soon. It is being considered seriously,” said a senior party functionary, close to the LJP(RV) president, seeking anonymity.

LJP(RV) national president and Union minister, food processing industries, Chirag did not comment on the reports that he is likely to contest the state assembly polls. “I will not comment on this matter,” Paswan said, while talking to HT on phone from New Delhi.

However, insiders in the party said the junior Paswan and his close team has started working on the proposal of contesting the state polls in a big way and the party has already zeroed in on few seats including reserved constituencies like Kalyanpur in Samastipur, Mohania , etc from where the 42 year- old union minister could contest. At president, Paswan is a sitting Lok Sabha MP from Hajipur ( SC)parliamentary constituency. There is 38 reserved seats for scheduled caste community and two reserved seats for scheduled tribe community out of 243 assembly seats in Bihar assembly.

“ There is a big demand from workers and leaders of the party that Chirag should contest the assembly polls. There are offers and suggestions coming from party workers and leaders from seats where our president should contest the polls. Many leaders have suggested that our president should contest either from south, central or north Bihar. We will all be happy if our president contests the polls,” said Ashraf Ansari, state vice president of the party and spokesperson.

The LJP(RV), having five MPs, is a key constituent of the ruling NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the 2020 state assembly polls, the LJP(RV) led by junior Paswan had contested 133 seats all alone, but had won one only seat .

Many political observers feel, the LJP(RV)’s decision to contest the polls alone with majority candidates being given against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar led Janata Dal( United) was one of the factors that perhaps caused the poor show of JD(U) strongman’s outfit, which managed to win only 43 seats.

Sources said the move by junior Paswan to contest the polls is aimed to increase LJP(RV)’s electoral presence in the state as well as give a fillip to the union’s minister’s larger goal of becoming a chief ministerial face in the days to come. In a recent media interview, Paswan had said that he would like to be more active in his own state Bihar and serve the state.

The LJP(RV) president, son of Lok Janshakti Party founder and deceased former union minister Ram Vilas Paswan, has been vocal on state’s development and also pushed his ‘ Bihar first, Bihari first’ vision as the party’s long-term plan to steer the state to higher trajectory of growth.

Chirag’s party MP Arun Bharti batted for a bigger role for Chirag in state politics. “Chirag Paswan is ready to shoulder bigger responsibility in Bihar; has vision and acceptability across castes, communities,” said Bharti.

Reports said, the demand for junior Paswan to contest the assembly polls was raised at a meeting of the youth wing of the LJP(RV) which was attended by top leaders in Patna. A resolution to demand that party president should contest the assembly polls was passed at the meeting, reports said. State president of the LJP(RV) youth wing Ved Prakash Pandey has posted a message regarding this on his X handle.

Incidentally, there are speculations rife that the demand being raised for Chirag to contest the polls is a calculated move by the regional party to flex its muscles for a better seat sharing deal with the BJP and other constituents in the NDA. Sources said the LJP(RV) is keen to contest around 35-40 seats , a demand that may put the BJP and its allies in trouble as other smaller allies like HAM(Secular) and Rashtriya Lok Manch led by MP, Upendra Kushwaha would then also have a reason to make demands for higher number of seats.

“ The LJP(RV) chief is probably seeing an opportunity to become a CM face for the NDA in coming polls. But that may not prove fruitful as the BJP and its allies are already clear that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar would be the CM face for the 2025 polls. Yes, there is some sort of pressure politics game being played by the LJP(RV) for higher number of seats or other considerations. But NDA is strong and united,” said a BJP leader, seeking anonymity.

Meanwhile, the opposition RJD has welcomed the possibilities of LJP( RV) president contesting the state polls.” It is good thing if Chirag contests the state polls. But at the same time, he should also tell people what the NDA government at the centre has done for Bihar in last 11 years in power,” said RJD state spokesperson Mritunjay Tiwary.