Will contest Uttar Pradesh, Punjab polls with or without BJP: Chirag Paswan
Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ramvilas) [LJP(RV)] president Chirag Paswan said his party will contest the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab “with or without the BJP,” signaling a willingness to go it alone if seat-sharing talks within the NDA do not materialize.
Alliance calculus and seat plan
Speaking in an interview to The Hindu ahead of elections slated for early next year, Mr. Paswan underscored that while the LJP(RV) remains an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Bihar, it will not step aside in Uttar Pradesh or Punjab if negotiations fail to yield a “respectable” arrangement.
“I am in alliance with the BJP both at the Centre and in Bihar. Naturally, I would want this alliance to extend to the two States. Having said that, considering the hard work we have put in to build our organisation in both States, we are not willing to bow out of the contest. If a seat-sharing arrangement cannot be arrived at in the two States under the NDA banner, then we are willing to contest alone,” he said.
In the event of a solo run, the LJP(RV) plans to field candidates in all constituencies—117 in Punjab and 403 in Uttar Pradesh.
Organisational push and Dalit outreach
Mr. Paswan said his party has intensified groundwork in both States, with a particular effort to consolidate support among Dalit communities. While he often positions himself as a leader acceptable across caste lines, he acknowledged that in both States the LJP(RV) is seeking to occupy the space of a Dalit party.
In Uttar Pradesh, the party is focusing on Passi voters, who are present in substantial numbers in eastern and central parts of the State—regions where the BJP saw setbacks in the last Lok Sabha election. This targeted outreach is part of the LJP(RV)’s bid to broaden its base ahead of the Assembly polls.
Maintaining distance from senior ally
Mr. Paswan’s assertion of autonomy follows a series of remarks that have marked an increasingly nuanced distance from the BJP. Recently, he said he felt “ashamed to be part of the government in Bihar” in the context of molestation cases involving minor girls in Jamui, Samastipur, Banka and other districts. He had also raised concerns about the Election Commission’s handling of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
SP-Congress challenge and a ‘false narrative’
Asked about the perceived momentum of the Samajwadi Party–Congress alliance in Uttar Pradesh, Mr. Paswan argued that the Opposition’s strength stems from messaging used during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, which he labeled misleading.
“In the 2024 election, they [the SP-Congress alliance] succeeded in convincing weaker sections, especially Dalits, through a false narrative that the Constitution would be amended. They are trying to revive this narrative, but you cannot use the same trick in every election,” he said.
He contended that the Lok Sabha results would not necessarily translate into Assembly gains for the Opposition in Uttar Pradesh.
Maharashtra analogy
Pointing to what he described as a pattern seen elsewhere, Mr. Paswan said he expects Uttar Pradesh to mirror Maharashtra’s post-general election trajectory. “In 2024, the NDA did badly in the State in the Lok Sabha election but swept the Assembly polls that followed. The Opposition’s false narrative will fail and we will see a Maharashtra-like situation in Uttar Pradesh too,” he said.
‘Youth Bole Toh’: A student-focused campaign
Mr. Paswan has launched a new outreach initiative, “Youth Bole Toh,” aimed at giving students a platform to voice concerns, particularly around paper leaks and related grievances. The campaign was rolled out in Patna on September 24 and followed by another rally under the same banner in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, three days later.
Describing the initiative as a “pressure valve” intended to contain a “volcano of complaints,” he said, “I go there not as a Minister, but as an elder brother who is willing to listen.” He indicated plans to take the campaign nationwide but said his immediate focus would remain on election-bound States.
Contrast with Congress’s student outreach
Mr. Paswan dismissed parallels between “Youth Bole Toh” and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s “Chhatron Ki Goonj” campaign, asserting that his effort is solution-oriented rather than oppositional. He said Mr. Gandhi’s engagement was “negatively oriented,” while his own would be geared toward identifying remedies to the issues raised by students.
What to watch
As the election calendar advances, the LJP(RV)’s talks with the BJP over seat-sharing in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab will be closely watched. Mr. Paswan’s willingness to contest all seats in both States signals a push to expand his party’s footprint even as he balances alliance obligations with independent ambitions.
The effectiveness of the LJP(RV)’s targeted outreach—especially among Dalit communities and Passi voters in Uttar Pradesh—along with the traction of the “Youth Bole Toh” campaign, will likely shape the party’s negotiating leverage and electoral performance in the months ahead.
