By The Sampadak Express
Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan on Sunday made a bold declaration that his party is ready to contest all 243 seats in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. Framing the move as a strategy to bolster the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Paswan said his primary goal is a “big NDA victory.”
Addressing the Nav Sankalp Mahasabha at Ramna Maidan in Ara, Paswan said, “If people ask whether I will contest the elections yes, I will. I will contest on 243 seats, as Chirag Paswan, to strengthen the NDA.”
His comments come amid intense speculation over the NDA’s seat-sharing formula and his own role in the alliance’s strategy for the 2025 state elections.
Paswan also addressed ongoing questions about whether he will personally contest an assembly seat. “Some people are spreading confusion about my contesting the elections. If I do, it will be with the aim of improving my party’s strike rate and strengthening the alliance,” he said, adding that the final decision will be taken by the party’s Parliamentary Board.
In a sharp attack on the opposition, Paswan accused the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress of being jointly responsible for the era of lawlessness often referred to as ‘Jungle Raj’ in Bihar. “Congress is as responsible as RJD for the Jungle Raj that we talk about,” he said. He also criticised the Congress-led UPA government for not awarding the Bharat Ratna to former Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur. “It is our government that has conferred this honour,” he asserted.
The NDA is currently in the final stages of negotiating its seat-sharing arrangement. Sources suggest that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (United) are likely to contest a majority of the seats, with smaller allies, including Paswan’s LJP(RV), getting a limited share.
Paswan’s announcement of a full-contest readiness may be seen as a strategic move to assert his bargaining power within the alliance and position himself as a key player ahead of the high-stakes Bihar polls.
