Chirag Paswan Plans to Contest Bihar Assembly Elections

Chirag Paswan's Political Aspirations for Bihar

As Bihar gears up for its upcoming assembly elections, Union Minister Chirag Paswan has declared his intention to participate in the polls. He emphasized that his motivation for entering politics stems from a desire to serve his home state and its residents, a goal he believes cannot be achieved while based in Delhi.

“I have previously mentioned that I do not envision myself in national politics for an extended period. My sole reason for entering politics was to advocate for Bihar and its people. My vision has always been 'Bihar first, Bihari first', and I aspire for Bihar to thrive and match the progress of other developed states. After serving as an MP for the third time, I recognized that this could not be accomplished from Delhi. I have expressed my desire to return to Bihar to my party,” stated Paswan, who leads the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas).

He further noted that his party is currently evaluating the potential benefits of his candidacy in the upcoming Bihar assembly elections. Paswan indicated that he would run if the performance of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) improves.

“My party is still assessing whether my candidacy would be advantageous… If my strike rate improves and the performance of my alliance enhances, which seems likely, then I will certainly contest,” he added.

Paswan also clarified that there is no vacancy for the Chief Minister position in Bihar, asserting that Nitish Kumar will continue as CM post-elections. He expressed his commitment to respecting his party's decisions regarding his candidacy, stating, “I will adhere to my party's wishes. For now, we have yet to discuss it…”

On Sunday, Arun Bharti, an MP from the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), hinted at the possibility of Paswan running in the Bihar Assembly elections. Bharti mentioned that during a recent state executive meeting, party leaders formally encouraged Paswan to consider a more significant role in Bihar politics. “Chirag Paswan has consistently stated that Bihar is the focus of my political endeavors… The people of Bihar hold him in high regard. We formally proposed during the state executive meeting that he should contemplate a larger role in Bihar. We are conducting a survey, and if the results are favorable, I believe Chirag Paswan will seriously consider these options and think about contesting the elections,” Bharti remarked.

Prashant Kishor, founder of the Jan Suraaj Party, expressed that Paswan's active involvement in Bihar Assembly politics would be a positive step. Kishor stated, “He (Chirag Paswan) is part of the NDA, and everyone is free to contest elections. If Chirag Paswan decides to run, it would be beneficial for Bihar… His active participation in Bihar Assembly politics would be a positive development.”