Chirag Paswan: NDA’s Rising Voice Eyes Bigger Role In Bihar 2025

Chirag Paswan stands at a crucial crossroads in Bihar politics, both as heir to a powerful Dalit legacy and as an ambitious politician trying to carve an independent identity. Now 42, he heads the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and has become one of the NDA’s most vocal campaigners ahead of the second phase of the 2025 Assembly polls, using his youth appeal, social-media reach and family name to expand beyond the traditional Paswan vote.

Son of the late Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan, he entered politics in 2014 after a brief film career. He won Jamui on an LJP ticket as part of the BJP-led NDA, and was re-elected in 2019. In 2024, he shifted to Hajipur, his father’s former stronghold, and won by a commanding margin, reaffirming his claim to the family turf.

Chirag’s record shows two consecutive Parliamentary victories: 2014 (Jamui) and 2019 (Jamui) and a third win in 2024 from Hajipur. However, he has not contested any Assembly election so far, preferring to play the role of strategist and alliance partner. His party, the LJP (Ram Vilas), currently commands a limited but decisive influence in Dalit-dominated pockets across central and western Bihar.

Once a close ally of Nitish Kumar, Chirag turned a vocal critic of the JD(U) chief ahead of the 2020 Assembly polls. Contesting separately under the banner of “Bihar First, Bihari First”, his party fielded candidates against JD(U) but supported the BJP — a move that split the NDA vote in key constituencies and contributed to Nitish’s weakened tally. Despite not winning any Assembly seats, Chirag’s audacious rebellion earned him the moniker of “Hanuman of Modi” among supporters for his declared loyalty to the Prime Minister.

In 2021, a bitter power struggle erupted within the Lok Janshakti Party following the death of Ram Vilas Paswan in October 2020. Two factions emerged — one led by his son, Chirag Paswan, and the other by his uncle, Pashupati Kumar Paras, who spearheaded the revolt.

Both groups wrote to the Election Commission seeking recognition. Chirag’s camp also appealed to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to revoke Paras’s appointment as parliamentary party leader, arguing that only the chair of the party’s parliamentary board could make such a nomination under its constitution. However, later that night, the Lok Sabha Secretariat confirmed Paras in the post.

The crisis deepened after Paras took four LJP MPs with him and declared himself party president. In response, Chirag convened a national executive meeting and expelled the five rebel MPs from the party.

The Election Commission subsequently froze the LJP name and its symbol, allocating the titles Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) to Chirag Paswan and Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party to Pashupati Kumar Paras.

Then Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) responded to the LJP split with a measure of satisfaction stating “You reap what you sow”. Chirag Paswan had mounted a strong campaign against Nitish in the 2020 Assembly polls, a move that significantly weakened the ruling party in Bihar.

In 2024, after four years of estrangement, the BJP brought him back into the NDA fold, acknowledging his growing youth connect and his symbolic value among Dalit voters. His return has solidified his position as an NDA ally with independent clout.

Signifying confidence in the NDA’s victory, LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan said the trends clearly indicate that after November 14, Bihar will once again see the formation of an NDA government.

“We have been campaigning relentlessly for the last 20 days, and the way the first phase of polling concluded has further strengthened our belief,” Paswan said. Calling it a “historic win in the making,” Paswan asserted that the mood on the ground was firmly in the NDA’s favour. Taking aim at the opposition, he added, “The divided Grand Alliance went to the people with false promises — claiming they would provide government jobs to every family. But the people of Bihar are far more discerning. They know who has delivered and who merely talks.”

As the second phase of Bihar 2025 Assembly election nears, Chirag, using his blend of glamour, emotional legacy, and assertive Dalit identity will be able to draw voters. Chirag Paswan’s role as the NDA’s young face and potential kingmaker remains undeniable.