Lok Janshakti Party – ‘Full stop on many questions’ Chirag Paswan praised PM Modi and Nitish as NDA crossed 200 seats New Delhi/Patna: Before these elections, Chirag Paswan had described himself as “salt in the vegetable”, which is necessary for any political broth. Winning 19 of the 29 seats contested by his party, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief again proved his mettle in Bihar as his performance propelled the NDA. The figure of 200 seats.

What makes the performance more significant is that despite talk of dissatisfaction over the selection of candidates, LJP (RV) has snatched 17 seats from the Grand Alliance. Chirag’s rise in Bihar became evident during the seat-sharing talks, when his party got its fair share despite only one of its 143 candidates winning during the 2020 assembly elections. Their bargaining power came from the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when the LJP (RV) won all five seats it contested.

At a time when the fortunes of Mayawati and other Dalit leaders like Jitan Ram Manjhi are on the decline, the son of former Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan has emerged as a prominent face. The victory also virtually ends the claim made by his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras on the senior Paswan’s legacy. Although Paras has been claiming that his Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party is part of the NDA, the alliance gave a clear signal when it was not given a single seat.

Before his political innings, Chirag made his Bollywood debut in 2011 with ‘Mile Na Mile Hum’ opposite Kangana Ranaut. In 2014, he convinced his father to forge an alliance with the BJP.

Chirag’s political journey started in 2014, when he won the Jamui Lok Sabha seat. He retained it in 2019 before shifting to his father’s bastion Hajipur in 2024 and becoming a Union minister. The 42-year-old sees a bigger role for himself in 2030.

“Whether today or tomorrow, my reason for joining politics will always be the people of Bihar,” he told TOI ahead of the results.