Central Minister Chirag Paswan has indicated that he may contest the upcoming Bihar assembly elections. His primary objective, he stated, is to improve the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas)’s strike rate, rather than to vie for the Chief Minister’s position. The strike rate is calculated as the percentage of seats won by a party out of the total seats it contested.
Paswan believes an improved strike rate will be advantageous for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). He clarified that he is not interested in becoming the Chief Minister during a press conference held in Hajipur. Paswan also showed his disappointment with efforts to generate discord within the alliance.
He also mentioned that whether he participates in the elections will be determined by his party’s parliamentary board. He also added that even if he runs, it would not be out of the ordinary, highlighting the BJP’s strategy of deploying national leaders in state elections. The Bihar assembly elections are set to take place later this year.
Paswan, aged 42, affirmed that if he contests, it will only be to improve the party’s strike rate and support the NDA. He expressed his dismay regarding attempts to mislead the public by suggesting he is seeking the Chief Minister’s position.
During the 2020 assembly elections, the former president of the Lok Janshakti Party, Chirag Paswan, took an independent stance, which resulted in a decrease in the number of seats won by the Janata Dal-United (JDU). Currently, Chirag foresees that the NDA, under Nitish Kumar’s leadership, will create its most robust government yet in Bihar after the elections.
The Union Minister revealed that his party plans to launch its election campaign with a rally in Ara, the headquarters of Bhojpur district, on Sunday. The party is aiming to nominate him from an unreserved constituency. Speculation suggests that Chirag might select a legislative seat from the Shahabad region, encompassing Bhojpur and neighboring districts. The Union Minister refrained from revealing details and stated that his party is preparing to hold additional rallies prior to the elections. Each rally will include five to six districts.