Chirag Paswan: Focusing on Party’s Performance, Not CM Post, in Bihar Elections

Addressing the media on Saturday, Union Minister Chirag Paswan indicated his possible participation in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. His primary goal, he explained, would be to boost the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas)’s strike rate, and not to contend for the Chief Minister’s position. Paswan clarified that a better strike rate for his party would be advantageous for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). During his conversation with journalists in Hajipur, the MP firmly denied any ambition for the CM’s chair, expressing concern over the propagation of misconceptions within the alliance. Paswan stated that his party’s parliamentary board would decide whether he contests the election. He pointed out that the BJP frequently involves its national leaders in state elections. The Bihar Assembly elections are slated for the end of this year. Paswan, aged 42, emphasized that his decision to contest, if made, would be purely to improve his party’s strike rate, thus contributing to the NDA’s success. He conveyed his disappointment at the attempts to create a misunderstanding about his interest in the CM position. In the 2020 Assembly elections, Paswan, then the former LJP president, caused a significant impact that reduced the seat count for the Janata Dal-United (JDU). He anticipates the NDA, under Nitish Kumar, forming the strongest government in Bihar post-elections. The Union Minister announced that his party will initiate its election campaign with a rally in Ara, the headquarters of Bhojpur district, on Sunday. Speculations suggest that Paswan’s party might field him from an unreserved constituency. Although he hasn’t disclosed his specific constituency within the Shahabad region (Bhojpur and neighboring districts), Paswan confirmed that the party plans on hosting additional rallies before the elections, each covering five to six districts.