I don't see any reason for me to contest outside of NDA: Chirag Paswan

The Hindu

a day ago

Defending his recent remarks criticising the law and order situation in Bihar, Union Minister and Lok Jan Shakti Party (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan said that he was not 'rebelling' against the JD(U)-led State government or against the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), but was only airing his concerns, since his party was only supporting the government from outside and not part of it.
'It was my concern and a genuine concern for my State Bihar and Biharis,' he told The Hindu in an interview.
In the wake of the gang-rape of a Bihar Military Police aspirant in Bodh Gaya on July 24, 2025, and the recent spate of crimes in Bihar ahead of the forthcoming Assembly election, he said on July 26, 2025 that he regretted supporting the government in Bihar.
'I am not being rebellious… I am only raising questions. I want accountability. It is the government's responsibility to hold someone accountable..,' he further added. He explained why he felt the need to go to the public by saying that unlike in the centre, where he is part of the Union Cabinet, his party is not part of the Bihar government.
He conceded that remarks such as the ones he made, makes the Opposition 'happy' and helps them set the narrative given his history with the JD(U). Mr. Paswan, while being in the NDA, had fought 2020 Assembly polls against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the JD(U). 'I have nothing against the government. And I believe in our Chief Minister,' he said, crediting him for the progress in the State. 'He (Nitish) is called the Sushasan Babu, because he dealt with the 'jungle raj' and brought it under control. I believe that he will be able to set it right again.'
He also rejected all speculations of him repeating his 2020 gambit of contesting the Assembly polls outside of the alliance. Claiming that the NDA is a 'solid' coalition and will have historic win, Mr. Paswan said, 'I don't see any reason for me to contest outside of the alliance. Until and unless like 2020 I am not pushed to a corner which I don't see happening because all my concerns are getting addressed and acknowledged.'
The conversation on seat division between the allies Mr. Paswan said has not yet begun in the alliance but said he expects it to be done amicably. He also dismissed the rumours on Mr. Kumar's declining mental acuity. 'I have interacted with him multiple times and not even once I have felt that you know he is not fit,' he said, calling it a manufactured narrative by the opposition. In the same breath he added, 'Eventually, I think it is the collective responsibility of the whole alliance to take the state forward and which we are doing very nicely.'
Attacking the Opposition for their stance on the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, he said that the Opposition's demand for a debate on the issue in Parliament and government's insistence on not holding it, had paralysed the Parliament.
'It's not a decision taken by the government of India. Where do we stand? This was a decision taken by an independent constitutional body, the Election Commission. 'Which Ministry does the Election Commission fall under? If we do hold a debate, which Ministry will reply to it? If the Opposition can answer this simple question then I would personally go speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urge him to hold the debate,' he said.
On his party's efforts to cast the net wider beyond the Paswan voters that they traditionally cater to, to building themselves up as a bahujan party, reaching out to the OBC voters too, Mr. Paswan asserted that his fight is for all 14 crore Biharis irrespective of their caste. 'I am an educated young guy of the 21st century who doesn't believe in this caste system, but then this is a sad reality especially in my State.'
Hitting out at the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), main Opposition party in the State, he said that in contrast to the RJD's MY-voteback (Muslim-Yadav), the LJP(RV)'s MY formulation is — M for Mahila (women) and Y for Yuva (youth). 'They (RJD) are both communal and casteist,' Mr. Paswan claimed.