Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan has emerged as a force to reckon with. He was leading in 21 of the 29 seats his party contested by 2pm, strengthening his ambition to project himself as a chief ministerial contender in 2030. His party is set to become the fourth-largest in the state assembly, marking the sharpest rise by any regional outfit in Bihar.
Paswan’s gains stem largely from being part of the NDA alliance this time. In the previous election, when he contested alone, he won only one seat. The additional 20-plus seats now put his party in a position to seek a deputy chief minister post, some political analysts say, as it is set to finish as the third-largest party. Whether Nitish Kumar agrees to such an arrangement remains uncertain, though LJP (RV) MLAs are likely to secure ministerial berths.
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The rise of Chirag Paswan, who casts himself as a young Bihari leader, has coincided with the decline of two other prominent young figures, Tejashwi Yadav and Prashant Kishor. This is expected to further enhance his standing. After winning all five Lok Sabha seats allotted to him by the NDA in the 2024 general election, Paswan has now shown that he is a stable political presence.
Chirag stepped out of the shadow of his father, Ram Vilas Paswan, after the latter’s death, building an independent identity to reclaim the dalit vote base his father once commanded. He has increasingly drawn on Hindu symbolism and the rhetoric of “Bihar pride” to broaden his appeal beyond a dalit-focused constituency. With the BSP also leading in one seat, the results suggest dalit voters have not shifted towards the Congress, contrary to expectations.
He targeted the 25–45 age group, which makes up nearly 45 per cent of Bihar’s population. His party’s strong performance indicates effective vote transfer between the LJP (RV) and its allies, including the JD(U) and BJP.
Paswan could gain further ground in the coming years, especially since these elections are widely seen as the last for Nitish Kumar.