Chirag may quit ministry to test Bihar Assembly poll waters from general seat
PATNA: Ahead of the Bihar assembly elections, there is growing speculation that Chirag Pawan, the Union Minister for Food Processing Industries and leader of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), may resign from the Narendra Modi cabinet soon to contest the state polls due later this year.
Bihar in-charge of LJP (RV) and Jamui MP Arun Bharti said on Sunday that a formal proposal would be sent to party president Chirag Paswan, requesting him to contest the assembly elections from a general seat instead of a reserved seat. He is likely to announce his return to state politics at a public rally in Ara, Bhojpur district, on June 8.
'Since Chirag is not the leader of a particular community, the party want him to contest a general seat instead of a reserved seat to send out the message that he is ready for a bigger role in the state politics,' Bharti added.
With social justice emerging as a major poll plank this time, Chirag's entry into state politics is said to benefit the ruling NDA. LJP(RV) has set to organise 'Nav Sankalp Mahasabha' at Ara in Bhojpur on June 8, in which Chirag may announce his return to state politics.
A senior leader of LJP (RV), speaking on condition of anonymity, said Chirag has decided to focus on state politics and bid farewell to national politics.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
9 hours ago
- Indian Express
Amid Bihar's shifting sands in twilight of Nitish, Chirag Paswan eyes centrestage
Suddenly, Bihar is back in the news. After all, it was from Bihar's Madhubani that the Prime Minister first chose to declare that India would track down to the ends of the earth those responsible for the killings of 26 innocent men in Pahalgam. Narendra Modi gave an all-party meeting called by the government on April 24 – two days after the Pahalgam terror attack – a miss to attend the Madhubani rally, for which he was criticised by the Opposition. Bihar clearly holds its own importance for Modi and his party. The BJP and the RSS would like to lead a government in the state, which has so far eluded them. It is early days yet to conclude whether nationalistic fervour would inform the Bihar Assembly elections slated for this year-end, or it would be fought on 'hyper-local' issues as many believe. Interestingly, it is Chirag Paswan who has begun to stir the election pot. The Union Minister for Food Processing Industries heads a small Bihar-centric party, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). The undivided LJP – which split in 2021 following the demise of the party founder and Chirag's father Ram Vilas Paswan – had contested the 2020 Bihar polls on its own. But the party came a cropper with only one seat to its credit. Chirag returned to the NDA fold ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections which saw his party winning all five seats it contested in Bihar. In his government 3.0, Modi inducted the LJP(RV) chief as a Cabinet minister, and there were photographs going viral of the PM and Chirag together that reflected their chemistry. Today, Chirag has emerged as a symbol of the changes that are underway in Bihar. Clearly, he has his eyes set on the Pataliputra gaddi— as he gets set to contest the Assembly polls despite being an MP. His party has passed a resolution that he will take up 'bhavishya ki zimmedari'(responsibility of the future)— in other words, the chief ministerial role, without declaring it in so many words. The NDA will be contesting the elections under incumbent CM and JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar's leadership, though. The LJP(RV)'s pitch for his 'future role' is aimed at projecting Chirag as the Dalit leadership's face – he is already considered a hero among Dalit youth – and expand his base among the Scheduled Castes (SCs), which constitute over 19% of Bihar's population. There was a split in the SCs in the state after Nitish categorised 21 of its 22 sub-castes as Mahadalits (or the more marginalised among them) who needed special government assistance, excluding just the Paswan group from it to which Chirag belongs. This created a cleavage between Paswans and Mahadalits. The Paswan community could determine the outcome of the polls in about 30 Assembly seats out of the state's 243. Chirag was said to be of the view earlier that his real challenge lay in enthusing his cadre to work with the NDA under Nitish's leadership since they were opposed to his rule. Mahadalits are part of Nitish's support base, along with Kurmis, Koeris, Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) and Pasmanda Muslims (backward Muslims), which have always stood him in good stead on the electoral front. When he joined hands with the upper castes-backed BJP, they won successive polls. When he aligned with the Mahagathbandhan led by Lalu Prasad's RJD, they emerged victorious too. However, despite playing a key role in government-formation in all elections since 2005, Nitish's party put up a poor performance in the 2020 polls, when its tally dipped to 43 seats – much below the BJP's 74 – from 71 seats in 2015. One of the reasons for the JD(U)'s dismal showing was the damage caused to it by Chirag in as many as 40 seats. In about 26 seats, the LJP(RV) polled more votes than the JD(U)'s defeat margin. With the NDA's seat-sharing exercise yet to begin, Chirag is already upping the ante to stake his claim for all those seats where his party was seen to be a factor even if it did not win those seats. Significantly, he is also keen to contest from a 'general' seat in a bid to push his base beyond Dalits. This has prompted a question whether Chirag is trying to take Nitish's place by replicating his base amid a weakening JD(U). What is apparent is that he has decided to join the race, even if it may turn out to be a marathon, for the Bihar crown, which always eluded his father. The late Ram Vilas had worked with six PMs, from VP Singh to Narendra Modi, serving as a Union minister seven times. VP Singh saw him as a potential PM in the future—and openly spoke about it. Many believe that the 2025 elections may mark the end of the Nitish Kumar era. Although the NDA is fighting the Bihar polls under Nitish's leadership so as not to rock the boat, the CM's growing health problems will make it difficult for him to continue in his position. The BJP may keep him going as the CM for a short spell if the NDA wins the polls, following which it would want to take the helm itself. The BJP is already dealing with the JD(U) mainly through its other leaders like Sanjay Jha, who was named as the head of one of the seven multi-party delegations constituted by the Centre to mobilise global support in favour of India's position in the wake of Pahalgam and Operation Sindoor. The RJD, which came close to the finishing line in 2020, has so far not been able to add to its MY (Muslim-Yadav) base by getting the support of the EBCs, which the Akhilesh Yadav-led SP managed to do in UP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, when the latter got the better of the BJP. There has also been a rumbling in the RJD's first family, with Lalu recently disowning—and expelling from the party – his elder son Tej Pratap. A new factor in the Bihar polls this time would be the Jan Suraaj led by Prashant Kishor. The election strategist-turned-politician launched his party after undertaking a two-year padyatra across the state and has created a buzz. He has repeatedly called for Bihar to move beyond the politics of 'jaati and dharma' (caste and religion) in view of the state's perennial backwardness. It is to be seen how Jan Suraaj would impact the outcome of the Bihar polls. In the Hindi heartland states, the call to go beyond caste has usually had an appeal for the middle classes and upper castes, which are seen to be the BJP's supporters in Bihar. The 'social justice' parties like the RJD and the JD(U) have their own caste-based line-ups. Chirag knows only too well that if there was something that distinguished his father from other leaders of his time— it was his ability to remain relevant despite leading a small outfit. Another thing is getting clearer: The era of Lalu and Nitish is coming to an end. On the rise are young players like Tejeshawi Yadav of the RJD, Chirag and Prashant. What is going to prove decisive ultimately will be their ability to stay the course. (Neerja Chowdhury, Contributing Editor, The Indian Express, has covered the last 11 Lok Sabha elections. She is the author of 'How Prime Ministers Decide')
New Indian Express
a day ago
- New Indian Express
Now that Indus treaty is on hold, we'll use more water for Indian farmers: Agriculture Minister Chouhan
CHANDIGARH: Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that as the Indus Waters Treaty has been put in abeyance, efforts will be made to ensure that more water reaches farmers in Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. He said that 80 per cent of water from the Indus river system was flowing into Pakistan. "Giving 80 per cent water to Pakistan at that time was not justified. Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan require water and that water is ours. Now we will utilize that water for our farmers," said Chouhan. Chouhan, who was on a day-long visit to Punjab, visited a farmers' gathering (Kisan Chaupal) in Rajpura, Patiala, as well as the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Rauni. He was accompanied by Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, Punjab Agricultural University vice-chancellor Satbir Singh Gosal and ICAR scientists. He has been engaging with farmers across various states to promote sustainable and progressive farming practices as part of the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan. Citing its benefits in water conservation and reduced labour costs, he said that farmers should adopt the Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) method and also urged them to refrain from excessive pesticide use. "I have been apprised of good crop practices, be it direct seeding, mushroom farming or making silage," he said. When asked about complaints about fake pesticides, Chouhan said that the government will frame a new law, making a provision for stringent action against any company which supplies fake pesticides to farmers. Lauding the role of Punjab farmers in filling the foodgrain stock of the country, Chouhan said the country has registered an all-time record production in wheat, paddy, maize and soybean this year. "For this, Punjab has the biggest role and I bow to the land of Punjab," said Chouhan. He emphasised that the research of agricultural scientists should reach farmers and scientists should know what problems farmers are facing at their fields so that research can be undertaken in that regard. "I am not a guest here, I am a family member, I am not here for rhetoric but I am here to directly interact with farmers and understand the ground reality. Our focus should be to connect land and lab, so that farmers benefit from real-time innovation. Policies should come from the field not from officers in air-conditioned rooms."
The Print
2 days ago
- The Print
Chirag targets Nitish over Muzaffarpur case, flags ‘breakdown' in Bihar law & order, healthcare
In the letter, a copy of which is with ThePrint, Paswan urged Kumar to take 'strict action' in the 'heart-rending' gang rape and murder of a Dalit girl in Muzaffarpur, and highlighted what he called 'gross negligence' on the part of the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH). Both Kumar and Paswan are allies in the NDA, and the letter assumes political significance ahead of the crucial Bihar assembly elections. According to sources, Paswan's intervention also underscores the internal complexities of the alliance and signals his intent to 'carve a larger role for himself in the state'. New Delhi: Union Minister Chirag Paswan has written to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the Muzaffarpur rape-murder case, expressing concern about the 'profound failure' of law and order and the public health system in the state. Criticising the PMCH, Paswan wrote: 'Instead of providing the necessary treatment to save the girl, the hospital left her in the ambulance, wasting precious time. This is not just negligence, but a crime against humanity.' 'The incident of gang rape and the subsequent attempted murder of a nine-year-old Dalit girl in Muzaffarpur's Kudhni area on 26 May has shaken the entire state. This horrific crime is not only the brutal killing of an innocent life but also highlights a deep breakdown in law and order, social consciousness, and the public health system of Bihar,' he added. The victim succumbed to her injuries at the PMCH on 1 June. Paswan alleged that she had to wait for over six hours in the ambulance before being admitted, severely affecting her chances of survival. This isn't the first time Paswan has positioned himself in opposition to Kumar. In the 2020 assembly elections, the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP)—before the split between Chirag Paswan and his uncle Pashupati Paras—had contested solo, despite being part of the NDA at the Centre. The party won just one of the 137 seats it contested, but inflicted significant damage on JD(U), which saw its tally drop to 43 from 71 in 2015. LJP's 5.7 percent vote share reportedly affected JD(U)'s fortunes in at least 28 constituencies. 'Nitish Kumar ji was once synonymous with good governance—that situation has changed drastically. Chirag Paswan is only reflecting the reality on the ground. Issues of lawlessness and crumbling healthcare must be urgently addressed ahead of the elections,' said a senior LJP (Ram Vilas) leader. Also read: 'Bihar First, Bihari First'—Chirag Paswan says will contest Bihar polls, backs Nitish for CM Speculation after posters go up projecting Paswan as CM face During his 2020 campaign, Chirag had openly targeted Kumar and JD(U), while carefully maintaining his support for the BJP. His recent statement indicating willingness to contest the upcoming assembly polls has once again stirred political speculation. Posters projecting him as a potential chief ministerial face have surfaced across Bihar, though in an interview with ThePrint, Paswan reiterated that Kumar remains the NDA's CM candidate. Paswan further stated that the perpetrators of the gang rape were 'as guilty as the doctors and administrators at PMCH who failed to provide immediate care'. He called this 'a crime against humanity'. The union minister has urged the CM to arrest the accused immediately and ensure they receive the 'harshest' punishment. He has also called for a high-level judicial inquiry into the conduct of the PMCH hospital staff, demanding that 'criminal charges be filed against those who deliberately delayed treatment' and that 'immediate suspension and departmental action' follow. Representatives of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) have visited the victim's family and assured them of 'every possible effort to ensure justice.' 'But until firm and transparent action is taken against all responsible—both within the government and the administration—justice will remain incomplete and unacceptable,' Paswan concluded. The Opposition has also slammed the Bihar government over the case. ThePrint has sought a comment from the JD(U). This report will be updated if and when a response is received. However, a senior JD(U) leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said this was not the first time that Paswan had publicly criticised the Bihar government. 'He is part of the NDA, but from time to time he raises issues to distinguish himself as a different kind of leader. He is trying to carve his own path. But such tactics may not help him in the long run. He could have communicated these issues without going public,' said the JDU leader. (Edited by Viny Mishra) Also read: Father always wanted to be part of Centre, my reason to enter politics was Bihar & Biharis—Chirag Paswan
