BJP leaders call Paswan a “strong ally,” but insiders admit concern over his ambitions to emerge as Bihar’s next big political force.
By Navin Upadhyay
Patna | July 7, 2025– Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan has reignited Bihar’s political cauldron with a dramatic declaration: his party would contest all 243 seats in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. Speaking at a massive rally in Chhapra’s Rajendra Stadium, Paswan thundered, “I will contest not just in Bihar but for Bihar and its people… Chirag Paswan will contest all 243 seats,” invoking his late father Ram Vilas Paswan’s “Bihar First, Bihari First” slogan.
While the announcement electrified his supporters, political observers have questioned its feasibility—citing Paswan’s reliance on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), his past electoral missteps, and the likelihood that the move is more of a bargaining tactic than a declaration of political independence.
Strategic Misstep or Bargaining Ploy?
Analysts argue that contesting all 243 seats would mean taking on not only the opposition but also key NDA allies—most notably the BJP and the Janata Dal (United)—potentially jeopardizing Paswan’s cabinet position. As Union Minister for Food Processing Industries, Paswan has repeatedly affirmed his loyalty to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, famously calling himself “Hanuman” to Modi’s “Ram.”
In the 2020 Bihar polls, his LJP contested 137 seats independently, targeting JD(U) while sparing the BJP. That gambit reduced JD(U)’s seat tally from 71 to 43, but LJP won just one seat, with a 5.66% vote share. If Chirag contests against the BJP, he risks derailing the NDA’s prospects, just as he dented JD(U) in 2020. This could cost him his cabinet position and LJP-RV’s relevance.
Sources suggest Paswan’s declaration may be aimed at extracting a better deal in NDA seat-sharing talks. Paswan’s continued expressions of loyalty to the Prime Minister—and his party’s 100% strike rate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where it won all five seats it contested with a 6.47% vote share—indicate he is unlikely to take a confrontational path. As recently as January 2025, he declared, “NDA won’t break… Five constituent parties will fight the Bihar assembly elections together. We’ll form a strong NDA government with 225 seats.”
The BJP, for its part, has sought to downplay Paswan’s announcement. Senior BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain called him “a strong ally,” insisting, “They will be fighting on 243 seats as part of the NDA; seat-sharing is another thing. We will fight together and win 200 seats.” A senior BJP source, however, acknowledged privately, “Chirag is playing his cards carefully… he wants to be the next Nitish in Bihar politics,” suggesting unease within the alliance.
Risks of a Multi-Cornered Fight
A full-scale independent contest by LJP-RV would introduce another axis into an already crowded political battlefield—featuring the BJP, JD(U), the RJD-Congress-led Mahagathbandhan, and Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party (JSP). History suggests such a strategy is risky: in 2020, LJP’s aggressive campaign helped dent JD(U) but failed to convert votes into seats.
चिराग पासवान के 243 सीटों वाले बयान पर प्रशांत किशोर जी की प्रतिक्रिया I pic.twitter.com/LaguGti3MD
— Prabhat Singh (@PrabhatSinghX) June 8, 2025
Moreover, Paswan has historically avoided direct confrontations with the BJP, even when the party appeared to undercut him—such as during the 2021 LJP split engineered by his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras, who joined the Union Cabinet with BJP support. Paswan also remained publicly silent when the Centre evicted his late father’s belongings from his official bungalow. “My party was split after my father died. Yet I did not break,” he said later—a reflection of personal resilience, but also political caution.
Political Reactions Across the Spectrum
Paswan’s announcement has drawn sharp responses from across Bihar’s political landscape.
The JD(U), led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, has expressed both suspicion and caution. A senior party leader said, “Chirag’s decision is personal, not NDA-endorsed. The BJP will decide on LJP candidates.” Others in the party worry Paswan might attempt to position himself as an alternative CM face if the NDA returns to power.
Predictably, the Mahagathbandhan has seized on Paswan’s solo projection as a sign of NDA instability. Congress leader Pramod Tiwari remarked, “On one side, they claim unity; on the other, he says he’ll contest all 243 seats. Chirag Paswan is a Union Minister—what he said is not a good sign for the NDA.” Tiwari added that many “weather scientists”—a jab at politicians who align with winning sides—might soon abandon the NDA.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, currently the most popular CM face with a 36.9% rating, refrained from attacking Paswan directly but used the opportunity to highlight “the chaos and misrule” within the NDA, adding, “The people of Bihar are tired and will vote for change.”
VIDEO | Bihar Assembly Polls: "You should ask him whether he plans to contest 243 seats or 543 seats… But there is no doubt that the INDIA bloc will form the government in Bihar," says RLJP President Pashupati Kumar Paras (@PashupatiParas) on Union Minister Chirag Paswan's '243… pic.twitter.com/kODi5mQoBP
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 7, 2025
Prashant Kishor, whose JSP is also contesting all 243 seats, delivered one of the strongest critiques. Once close to Paswan, Kishor challenged his credibility: “If Chirag wants to play a massive role in Bihar elections, he must leave Delhi and live in Bihar.” Kishor, with a 16.4% approval rating, has positioned himself as the “local face” in contrast to Paswan’s dual identity as Delhi minister and Bihar hopeful.
Meanwhile, speculation swirls over where Paswan will contest from, with posters surfacing in Sheikhpura and Ara.
But all said and done, Chirag Paswan’s dramatic claim to contest all 243 seats appears to be a high-stakes gambit aimed at boosting his bargaining position within the NDA rather than a credible threat to go solo. His continued loyalty to Prime Minister Modi, his reliance on the BJP’s electoral machinery, and lessons from the 2020 misfire suggest he is unlikely to risk isolation. However, by posturing as a statewide contender, Paswan keeps himself politically relevant, projects strength among his base—especially the influential Paswan community—and sends a message that he must be negotiated with, not ignored.
As Bihar’s political chessboard begins to take shape ahead of the likely October-November elections, Paswan’s next moves will determine whether he emerges as a serious power broker—or repeats the 2020 “plot”, this time with even higher stakes.
