PATNA: Union minister Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), an ally of the NDA, has suffered a jolt in the first phase of assembly elections, apparently due to its strained relationship with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
In the first phase of election held on November 6, the LJP (RV) has fielded its candidates in eight of the 29 seats it was allotted as part of seat-sharing deal among NDA allies. The cooperation that LJP(RV) expected from its allies lacked, according Chirag’s party.
The BJP, JD(U), LJP(RV), Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) are constituents of the ruling NDA. Out of the 243 seats, the BJP and JD(U) are contesting 101 seats each, LJP(RV) 29, HAM and RLM six seats each. In the first phase, the JD(U) is contesting 57 seats, BJP 48, LJP(RV) eight and RLM two seats.
“In the first phase, JD(U) workers did not extend their cooperation to LJP(RV) due to strained relationship with CM and JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar,” a party of Chriag’s party said, wishing not to be named.
In the 2020 assembly elections, JD(U)’s tally was reduced to 43 as the LJP(RV) fielded its candidates against JD(U)’s in more than 30 seats. Despite being in NDA, Chirag shared a strained relationship with Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. In the 2020 elections, Chirag launched the slogan “Modi Se Bair Nahi, Nitish Teri Khair Nahi,” positioning LJP (RV) in direct opposition to JD(U).
LJP(RV) had gone solo in the previous election and fielding of its candidates against the JD(U) caused defeats of many candidates of Nitish Kumar’s party. Since then, the JD(U) chief has maintained a distance from Chirag. Also, Chirag has earlier been critical of Bihar’s law and order situation, which enraged Nitish for holding the home portfolio in the NDA government.
The JD(U) had also expressed its reservations over allotment of 29 seats to the LJP(RV) during seat-sharing arrangements within the NDA allies. But Chirag somehow managed to secure 29 seats. LJP(RV) leader’s demand was based on party’s 100% strike rate in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in which the party won all the five seats.
The bone of contention between Nitish and Chirag became evident when Nitish fielded its candidates in a few seats which Chirag wanted to contest in this assembly election. “The challenge for Chirag Paswan now is to secure as many victories as possible out of the 29 seats allotted to the party,” a political analyst said. “If he is successful, he could significantly influence the power dynamics within NDA in Bihar,” he said.
Last month, claiming that his father Ram Vilas Paswan wanted a Muslim CM for Bihar in 2005 but RJD did not agree to it, Chirag Paswan sought to reach out to the minority community, asking how they would get respect if they continue to remain a bonded vote bank.