PATNA: Union minister and LJP (RV) chief Chirag Paswan has emerged as the rising star in the 2025 assembly elections. In the previous assembly elections, Chirag’s party could win only one out of the 136 seats it contested. His party had no MLA in the 243-member Bihar assembly as its lone legislator joined JD(U) within months.
In this election, Chirag’s party has won 19 seats out of the 29 it contested. By improving his party’s performance compared to 2020, Chirag has consolidated his position within NDA. In 2020, his party had contested election solo but in 2025, he fought polls as part of NDA. It was offered 29 seats in NDA seat-sharing deal.
Seventeen out of the 19 seats on which LJP(RV) candidates have registered their win were held by Opposition Mahagathbandhan in the 2020 elections. As Scheduled Castes constitute 19.65% of state’s population (about 2 crore), Chirag helped NDA cross the 200-seat mark.
When LJP(RV) contested election solo in 2020, it harmed Nitish Kumar’s party as it fielded candidates mostly on the seats JD(U) was contesting. LJP (RV) had then coined a slogan: ‘PM Modi se bair nahi, Nitish teri khair nahi (Have no enmity with Modi, Nitish will not be spared).’ As a result, JD(U) could win only 43 seats against BJP’s 74.
For the first time, LJP(RV) and JD(U) contested together in 2025. Given their fraught history, doubts persisted over their ability to work together. Both parties made efforts to mend their ties. Chirag toned down criticism of the Nitish-led government.
The JD(U) chief also softened his stance against Chirag. Nitish visited Chirag’s Patna residence during Chhath apparently to give a message to JD(U) and LJP(RV) workers to work unitedly to ensure NDA’s victory. Only after patch-up, Chirag concentrated on campaigning in Shahabad region, where NDA had performed poorly in 2020.
With 43-year-old leader’s party winning 19 seats, it may claim the deputy chief minister’s post in the new government. Chirag had earlier said someone from his party may be inducted as deputy CM if NDA wins. Overwhelmed with his party’s performance, Chirag said,
“My next objective is to see PM Narendra Modi on the post after 2029 Lok Sabha election.” He said though he wanted to contest assembly polls, he dropped the idea on party’s suggestion. In 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the party won all the seats it contested.