The 2025 Bihar elections will be remembered not only for the NDA’s sweeping performance and the formidable partnership of Nitish Kumar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but also for the emergence of a young leader who has now firmly carved his place in the state’s post-socialist political landscape. At the centre of this shift is Chirag Paswan, chief of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), who has delivered one of the standout performances of the election.
Having negotiated hard within the NDA to secure 29 constituencies, Chirag Paswan appears to have justified the gamble. His party is leading in 22 seats, a strike rate of nearly 75%.
This comes on the back of an already impressive performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where the LJP (RV) won all five seats it contested.
The resurgence is even more noteworthy considering the party was nearly written off after its setback in the 2020 Assembly elections, when the then-united LJP contested independently, won only one seat out of over 130, and suffered internal fractures.
From Party Split to Political Resurgence
The challenges faced by Chirag were immense. After the 2020 rout, critics questioned his political acumen and ability to carry forward the legacy of his father, Ram Vilas Paswan, one of Bihar’s tallest leaders.
Matters worsened when the party split in 2021, with his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras making a parallel claim to the LJP’s legacy.
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However, Chirag mounted a long, steady rebuild. At 43 years old, positioning himself as a ‘Yuva Bihari’, he combined youth-centric outreach with the LJP’s traditional commitment to Dalit issues.
The hard work paid off decisively in 2024 and continues in the 2025 Assembly elections.
Despite his Lok Sabha success, Bihar’s dominant NDA partners—the BJP and JDU—were reportedly reluctant to offer his party more than 20 seats in the Assembly polls.
Chirag then opened channels with Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party, signalling that he would not be sidelined. The move pushed negotiations in his favour, and he eventually secured 29 constituencies from the alliance.
Unwavering Loyalty to PM Modi
Just days before the results, Chirag reiterated his steadfast commitment to the NDA and PM Modi.
He said: “As long as my Prime Minister is there, I am absolutely not going anywhere. My dedication and my love remain. I love him a bit too much.”
With his party outperforming expectations and the NDA poised for a sweeping victory, Chirag Paswan now stands as one of Bihar’s most influential young leaders, with his political capital higher than ever.
