Chirag Paswan: Will Contest Bihar Elections to Improve Party’s Performance, Not for CM Seat

Union Minister Chirag Paswan, on Saturday, stated his potential involvement in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, primarily aimed at enhancing the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas)’s strike rate. He made it clear that he is not eyeing the Chief Minister’s chair. The term ‘strike rate’ here refers to the percentage of seats a party wins out of the total seats it contests. Paswan believes a better strike rate for his party will aid the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Speaking to reporters in Hajipur, the MP also dismissed the idea of seeking the CM post. Paswan expressed his disappointment over efforts to cause discord within the alliance. The decision on his contesting the elections will be made by his party’s parliamentary board. He noted that the BJP often fields its national leaders in state elections. The Bihar Assembly elections are scheduled to take place later this year. Chirag Paswan, 42, said if he contests the elections, it would solely be to improve the strike rate for his party, thus assisting the NDA. He voiced his dismay at attempts to misrepresent his intentions regarding the Chief Minister’s position. In the 2020 Assembly elections, Chirag Paswan, then the former President of Lok Janshakti Party, created a rift, reducing the seats for the Janata Dal-United (JDU). Currently, Chirag forecasts that the NDA, led by Nitish Kumar, will form its strongest government in Bihar after the elections. The Union Minister disclosed that his party will kick off its election campaign with a rally in Ara, the headquarters of Bhojpur district, on Sunday. It is speculated that Chirag might be fielded by his party from an unreserved constituency. He hasn’t revealed his constituency in the Shahabad region, consisting of Bhojpur and adjacent districts. The Union Minister added that his party plans to hold more rallies before the elections, with each public meeting covering five to six districts.