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The LJP’s showing has strengthened the BJP and JD(U) by shoring up their traditional support bases, enabling the NDA to make inroads into Dalit and EBC strongholds
Chirag Paswan’s gains are not only likely to reshape his party’s role in the NDA but also highlight the changing dynamics of Bihar politics. (PTI)
If there’s one politician who has defied odds in the Bihar assembly polls, it is Chirag Paswan and his Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), who have emerged as a surprising force. Leading in 22 of the 28 seats it contested, the party’s performance marks a sharp turnaround from 2020, when it won just one seat. Paswan’s gains are not only likely to reshape his party’s role in the NDA but also highlight the changing dynamics of Bihar politics.
Founded in 2000, the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) initially aligned with the NDA but parted ways in 2002 in the aftermath of the Godhra riots. In 2004, it joined the UPA, with party leader Ram Vilas Paswan holding several key ministerial positions during this period. The party returned to the NDA in 2014, and Paswan once again served in significant roles in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet. After his death, the LJP split after tensions between Chirag Paswan and his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras. In June 2021, the party formally split into two factions: the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), led by Chirag Paswan, and the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party, headed by Pashupati Kumar Paras who was part of the NDA in 2020.
But Paswan Jr’s journey in the NDA was not without troubles. In 2020, following disputes over seat-sharing, Chirag Paswan contested independently on 137 seats, securing just a single seat but impacting JD(U)’s results in 29 constituencies. The 2024 Lok Sabha elections marked a significant shift, as the LJP (RV) won all five seats it contested, bolstering the young leader’s influence within the NDA.
Ahead of the 2025 assembly elections, Chirag Paswan was keen to contest a sizeable chunk of seats but was handed out 28. Dismissing the buzz of friction in the alliance, he described chief minister Nitish Kumar as a “necessity” for Bihar and “a lesson in political endurance”.
As per EC trends, LJP (RV) is ahead in constituencies such as Sugauli, Govindganj, Belsand, Bahadurganj, Kasba, Balrampur, Simri, Bakhtiarpur, Bochahan, Darauli, Garkha, Mahua, Bakhri, Parbatta, Nathnagar, Bakhtiarpur, Fatuha, Dehri, Obra, Sherghati, Bodh Gaya, Rajauli and Gobindpur.
The LJP’s showing has strengthened the BJP and JD(U) by shoring up their traditional support bases, enabling the NDA to make inroads into Dalit and EBC strongholds that were once RJD bastions, especially in central and western Bihar.
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d…Read More
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More
November 14, 2025, 13:11 IST
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