Union Minister Chirag Paswan has hinted at his possible participation in the upcoming Bihar assembly elections. He clarified that his primary focus is on improving the electoral performance of his Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), rather than seeking the Chief Minister’s office. The strike rate signifies the percentage of seats won relative to the total seats contested by the party.
Paswan believes that enhancing his party’s strike rate will benefit the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). While addressing journalists in Hajipur, he also refuted claims of harboring ambitions for the Chief Minister’s post. He expressed his disappointment over attempts to create misunderstandings within the alliance.
He mentioned that the decision on whether he contests the elections will rest with his party’s parliamentary board. He also pointed out that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) often fields its national-level leaders in state elections. The Bihar assembly elections are scheduled for later this year.
Paswan, 42, stated, ‘I want to be clear: if I contest the assembly elections, it will be solely to improve my party’s strike rate, thereby aiding the NDA. I am disheartened to see attempts to falsely portray that I am eyeing the Chief Minister’s chair.’
In the 2020 assembly elections, Chirag Paswan, then the former president of the Lok Janshakti Party, went against the coalition, leading to a decrease in the number of seats won by the Janata Dal-United (JDU). Currently, Chirag anticipates that the NDA, under Nitish Kumar’s leadership, will form its most powerful government yet in Bihar after the elections.
The Union Minister announced that his party will commence its election campaign with a rally in Ara, the headquarters of Bhojpur district, on Sunday. Paswan’s party aims to field him from an unreserved constituency. Speculation suggests that Chirag might opt for a legislative seat from the Shahabad region, encompassing Bhojpur and neighboring districts. The Union Minister did not provide further details and confirmed his party’s plans to hold additional rallies before the elections, with each rally including five to six districts.