New Delhi : As Bihar braces for a high-stakes Assembly election later this year, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan has dismissed any speculation of discord within the NDA over seat-sharing and asserted that the alliance would win more than 225 of the 243 seats up for grabs.
Dismissing speculation of a rift with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, against whom he has previously taken veiled jabs, Paswan struck a reconciliatory tone. Nitish Kumar is not the weak link of the NDA but a strong link, Paswan said. In the 2020 election, Chirag Paswan’s LJP contested independently, fielding candidates on 137 seats. While his faction could win just one seat, it badly damaged Nitish’s prospects and reduced the JD (U) to 43 seats. This was the worst performance by the JD(U) in the last two decades.
Paswan clarified that this time there was “no tussle in the NDA regarding seat sharing”, despite recent public remarks by allies like Jitan Ram Manjhi demanding a hefty share of 100 seats.
When asked whether he would personally contest the Bihar Assembly elections, Chirag revealed that discussions are ongoing. The matter is still in the pipeline. I definitely want to contest, he said – a move that could recalibrate the LJP’s influence in Bihar.
While Paswan was careful not to pitch himself openly for the Chief Minister’s chair, he didn’t entirely rule it out either. “There is no vacancy for the post of Chief Minister today,” he said, adding that any public ambition risks being misconstrued as an attempt to create division within the NDA. For me, the alliance is a priority. My dedication is for the Prime Minister,” he said, brushing aside questions about internal ambitions.
Rahul Gandhi did not declare my younger brother Tejashwi as the Chief Minister candidate. Tejashwi will definitely be hurt by this, he said, hinting at disarray within the INDIA bloc. He further added, Tejashwi has set out on a tour again today. I do not understand what it means. Everything is not fine in the grand alliance. Reviving a familiar refrain from previous NDA campaigns, Paswan warned that if the RJD were to return to power, crime and corruption will wreak havoc”, referring to what he called the resurgence of ‘jungle raj in Bihar.
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