Political Dynamics Intensify in Bihar Ahead of Assembly Elections
Political Landscape in Bihar
As Bihar gears up for the upcoming assembly elections, political activity in the state is on the rise. Both the ruling Democratic Alliance and the opposition Grand Alliance are striving to make the electoral contest more multifaceted. Additionally, there has been a noticeable trend of political parties shifting alliances.
The Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP), led by Pashupati Paras, is also formulating a robust strategy to enter the electoral fray. However, the party's presence in both the state assembly and the national parliament is minimal.
Past Performance and Future Aspirations
Until the last Lok Sabha elections, Pashupati Paras served as a minister at the center. His party aimed to contest six seats during the elections but ended up with none. This situation has significantly marginalized Paras in the political arena. Nevertheless, the RLJP has announced its intention to contest all 243 seats in the Bihar assembly elections, focusing on grassroots organization and the empowerment of Dalits to achieve favorable results.
Formation of the RLJP
The Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party was established in October 2021 under the leadership of Pashupati Kumar Paras. Initially, it was part of the unified Lok Janshakti Party, but following the death of Ram Vilas Paswan, the party split into two factions: one led by Chirag Paswan and the other forming the RLJP. The RLJP was part of the NDA in 2014 but severed ties in 2025.
Current Representation and Challenges
In terms of representation, Pashupati Kumar Paras's party has no members in either the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha, and it is also unrepresented in the Bihar assembly. The party does have one member in the Legislative Council. It will be intriguing to see if Pashupati Kumar Paras can prove his mettle in the upcoming assembly elections. Despite having the opportunity to establish himself as a prominent Dalit leader during his tenure as a central minister, he has not succeeded in doing so.
Electoral Setbacks
The narrative for Pashupati Paras's party was largely written during the Lok Sabha elections, where they were left empty-handed in the seat-sharing arrangement for the state's 40 constituencies. Additionally, Paras lost the Hajipur seat, which he previously held as a Member of Parliament.