As Bihar readies for its next assembly election in October, Union minister and Lok Janshakti Party (RV) chief Chirag Paswan has expressed his desire to return to state politics. His party has asked him to contest from a general seat instead of a reserved seat. If Paswan heads to the state, it is likely to set in motion many possibilities in the post poll scenario.
The move is being seen as a strategic positioning to project Chirag as a credible youth face in a state where politics has long been dominated by veteran leaders with deep caste loyalties. On the opposite side are two young leaders – Tejashwi Yadav and Prashant Kishor. The NDA has been lacking a youth leader who has an appeal across the state.
Can Paswan be contrast to Bihar’s older political establishment, particularly chief minister Nitish Kumar? The legacy of his father Ram Vilas Paswan, lends him an appeal across Dalit sections, especially the Paswans who form a significant portion of the Scheduled Caste population in Bihar. Now, by aiming for a general seat, Chirag is sending a clear message: he wants to play in the mainstream arena, not just on the margins of identity politics.
As political observers believe, his expected return to the state could not be without the BJP’s blessings. During the 2020 polls, Chirag had targeted Nitish Kumar while praising PM Narendra Modi. His party contested 134 seats, mostly against JDU candidates, but could win only one seat. This time he is part of the NDA alliance and has already declared that Nitish Kumar will be the CM face and there was no vacancy for the post.
However, in his party posters, Chirag had been pitched as the future CM. He may nurse ambitions for the top post, a coveted milestone which his father Ram Vilas Paswan, despite his long standing in the state politics, could not achieve.
If Chirag enters the poll fray, there could be repeat of Maharashtra situation where BJP had its CM despite the polls being fought under the leadership of its ally, Shiv Sena president and then CM Eknath Shinde.
In Bihar’s case, if the BJP improves its tally significantly from 75 (as of the last assembly), the demand to install its own CM could gain traction. Nitish himself had once offered to step aside in favour of a BJP candidate after his party’s poor performance in 2020—but the BJP declined.
Now, with Chirag’s reinvention as a mainstream youth leader, a parallel leadership bench is being prepared, one that could eventually step in should Nitish choose to step away or if the political arithmetic allows the BJP to assert dominance within the alliance.
Chirag’s re-entry into state politics is more than a personal ambition—it’s a signal of a generational churn. While Nitish Kumar remains the tallest leader in Bihar politics, the emergence of younger players like Chirag and Tejashwi points to an emerging political scenario. The parties are preparing for the post-Nitish era, with some strategic moves.
