Bihar Elections 2025: Chirag's Shifting Sands – Calculated Strategy or Political Opportunism?

Political analysts are questioning why Chirag Paswan, considered close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seems intent on disrupting the NDA alliance.

Bihar Elections 2025: Assembly elections in Bihar are scheduled for October-November this year. While the Election Commission has not yet announced the polling dates, political activity in the state is intensifying.

Meanwhile, Chirag Paswan, the leader of Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), a NDA ally, has announced his intention to contest all 243 assembly seats in Bihar, injecting new energy into the political landscape.

Political analysts are questioning why Chirag Paswan, considered close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seems intent on disrupting the NDA alliance. This is the second time he has made such a statement. However, a week earlier, he had also stated that the NDA would form the government in Bihar with Nitish Kumar as the Chief Minister. Why the sudden change of heart?

Chirag's U-Turn in a Week?

Chirag Paswan, Member of Parliament from Hajipur, Bihar, announced a month ago at his Nav Sankalp Mahasabha in Bihar that he would contest the assembly elections and that the LJP (R) would field candidates for all 243 seats.

He stated that he would fight the elections for the people of Bihar. At that gathering, he declared his intention to fight for "Bihar First" and "Bihari First". However, he did not reiterate this statement later.

On July 6th, he repeated this stance at a public meeting in Chhapra.

Why Chirag Paswan's Shifting Stance?

According to political analyst OP Ashak, Chirag Paswan's constantly shifting stance ahead of the Bihar assembly elections raises suspicions of behind-the-scenes machinations. However, whether this involves the BJP or Chief Minister Nitish Kumar remains unclear. Just last week, Chirag stated that Nitish Kumar would be the CM after the elections, but he has since changed his tune.

Who Wants to Stop Chirag from Entering Bihar?

Ashak suggests that Chirag's statement in Chhapra about a "conspiracy to prevent him from entering Bihar" hints at something deeper. To whom is he alluding? Chirag also asserts that he is not afraid of anyone. This statement may be a veiled attack on Nitish Kumar, given Chirag's consistent criticism of Bihar's deteriorating law and order situation, a point of contention that led him to oppose the Bihar CM vehemently. In 2020, he used this issue to contest against the JD(U), fielding candidates on 135 seats. Although the LJP won only one seat, Chirag's strategy of harming the JD(U) proved successful, as the JD(U) secured only 43 seats.

The Strategy Behind Chirag's Changing Statements?

According to Ashak, Chirag's shifting statements could be a strategy to pressure the NDA into allocating more seats. He also harbours ambitions of becoming Bihar's Chief Minister. In this context, the BJP, RJD, and other parties point out that despite Chirag Paswan receiving ministerial recognition from the NDA at the Centre, his role in the Bihar government is negligible, a source of internal frustration for him.