Union minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan launched a sharp attack on the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), accusing it of using the Muslim community in Bihar as a “bonded vote bank”.
Chirag said the opposition party has failed to give Muslims meaningful representation in the upcoming assembly elections.
His tirade came after the Grand Alliance announced RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav as its chief minister candidate and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) Supremo Mukesh Sahani as the deputy chief minister nominee.
In a post on X, Chirag recalled the significant political move made by his father and LJP founder Ram Vilas Paswan in 2005 to support the idea of a Muslim chief minister in Bihar. He said that while Paswan was ready to sacrifice even his own party, the RJD refused to back the idea.
"In 2005, my leader, my father, the late Ram Vilas Paswan ji sacrificed even his own party to make a Muslim chief minister -- yet even then, you did not support him," he said.
"RJD was not ready for a Muslim chief minister even in 2005, and today in 2025, it is neither ready to give a Muslim chief minister nor a deputy chief minister!" he further remarked.
What happened in 2005
In the 2005 assembly elections, the three constituents of the then ruling United Progressive Alliance—the LJP, the Congress and the RJD—contested separately. The RJD emerged as the single largest party with 75 seats, while the LJP won 29 seats and the Congress 10. The opposition NDA managed to secure only 92 seats.
If the three parties had come together, the 15-year rule of Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi could have continued. But Paswan, who emerged as the kingmaker, maintained that he would support a Muslim chief minister. His insistence led to a fresh election that brought Nitish Kumar as the chief minister.
In the 2025 assembly elections, Chirag’s LJP (RV) is a major constituent of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and is contesting 29 seats. He appealed to the Muslim community to demand fair representation and break free from what he termed as being a "bonded vote bank".
"If you remain a bonded vote bank, how will you get respect and participation?" he asked.
Polling to the 243-member assembly will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11. The results will be declared on November 14.