Chirag Paswan to contest Bihar Assembly polls? What his party leader said
With Bihar heading into election mode, speculation is rife about Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief and Union Minister Chirag Paswan contesting the upcoming Assembly polls due in October-November this year. Party leader and MP Arun Bharti has now publicly backed the move, calling it a "collective demand" from the grassroots.Speaking on Chirag Paswan's potential candidacy, Bharti took to X and wrote, "He has always maintained that his politics is rooted in Bihar. His vision of Bihar First, Bihari First, is a pledge towards a developed and self-reliant Bihar. That can only be realised if he leads from within the state".advertisementBharti, who has toured villages across Bihar as the party's state in-charge, claimed there is strong public sentiment for Chirag Paswan to take on a larger role in the state.
"Everywhere I went, people had one consistent demand — that Chirag ji must now play a key role in Bihar. Even in our recent party executive meeting, a unanimous resolution was passed urging him to contest the assembly elections," Bharti said. The Jamui MP also said that the party cadre wanted Chirag Paswan to contest from a general (unreserved) seat, rather than a reserved one — a move aimed at projecting him as a pan-Bihar leader. "This will send a message that he isn't here just to represent a section, but to lead all of Bihar," Bharti added. In what seems to be a calculated step towards this shift, the LJP (Ram Vilas) has planned a 'Nav Sankalp Sabha' in Ara on June 8, aimed at galvanising party workers and supporters across seven districts. advertisementThe event, to be held at Ramna Maidan, is expected to be a show of strength for Chirag Paswan — with internal chatter already projecting him as the party's chief ministerial face.CHIRAG PAWAN'S ON BIHAR POLLSSpeaking to reporters earlier this week, the Union Minister of Food Processing Industries also hinted at contesting the Bihar elections, calling it part of the broader strategy of the LJP (RV) and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA)."I have left this entirely on my party. If the party wants, I am ready to contest the Assembly elections. Currently, it is conducting a survey to figure out whether my candidacy will help my party, my candidates and my alliance. Just like Lok Sabha polls, our strike rate should be impressive in Bihar elections," Chirag Paswan said. The Bihar Assembly elections, the schedule for which is yet to be announced, are expected to see a direct contest between the NDA and the Rashtriya Janat Dal (RJD)-led Mahagathbandhan. However, some opinion polls also indicate that Prashant Kishor's newly launched party, Jan Suraaj, may gain some prominence. Must Watch
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