Chirag Paswan aims to become a kingmaker in Bihar by leveraging his influence in 33 seats, where he previously damaged JDU's prospects. This puts pressure on both NDA and the Grand Alliance.
Bihar Election 2025: Preparations for the Bihar Assembly elections have gained momentum. The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is in election mode. The Nitish Kumar government has made appointments to commissions and boards, attempting to control potential rebellions. Meanwhile, Chirag Paswan, chief of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and a Union Minister, has announced contesting all 243 seats. His claim, particularly on 70 seats, has created unrest within the NDA.
Chirag's Focus on 33 Key Seats
Chirag Paswan's strategy centers on 33 assembly seats where his party directly harmed the Janata Dal (United) in the 2020 elections. These seats represent his true bargaining power. Last time, LJP (now LJP-Ram Vilas) fielded candidates in 137 seats but won only one. Despite this, JDU lost on 33 seats, with Chirag's party receiving decisive votes in these constituencies.
How JDU was harmed
In the 2020 elections, on 28 seats where LJP fielded candidates, the LJP candidates received more votes than the margin by which JDU lost. In five seats, LJP candidates even pushed JDU to third place. These seats are now Chirag Paswan's greatest asset.
Examples: Dinara and Bhagalpur
In Dinara, RJD's Vijay Mandal won by 8228 votes. LJP's Rajendra Singh received 51,313 votes, while JDU's Jai Kumar Singh received only 27,252 votes.
Similarly, in Bhagalpur, Congress' Ajit Sharma won by 1113 votes, while BJP's Rohit Pandey came second with 64,389 votes. LJP's Rajesh Verma also received 20,523 votes, enough to significantly impact the outcome.
Chirag's Image Makeover
Chirag Paswan's political focus is now on shedding the image of a 'vote-cutter' that stuck to him after the previous election. His strategy is to emulate his father, Ram Vilas Paswan, by playing the role of a kingmaker. His b hold and influence in 33 seats support this claim.
NDA's Concerns
The NDA is well aware of Chirag's strength in these 33 seats. This is why there is no final agreement on seat-sharing between BJP and JDU. Both JDU and BJP are preparing to contest 102 seats each, while the remaining 39 seats need to be allocated among allies like Chirag Paswan, Jitan Ram Manjhi, and Upendra Kushwaha.
Chirag's Seat-Sharing Plan?
Chirag Paswan has claimed 70 seats, but his main target is around 40. If a compromise is reached on 35 seats, Chirag might adopt a 'friendly fight' strategy. This means that even while remaining within the NDA, LJP (Ram Vilas) could field candidates in some seats.
RJD and the Grand Alliance will be the Opponents
If Chirag repeats his 'go-it-alone' strategy from 2020, when he harmed JDU, he will face the Grand Alliance – the RJD, Congress, and other opposition parties. This increases the likelihood of three-cornered contests in these 33 seats, potentially significantly influencing the results.
