‘Chirag is Ready’: LJP (R) ramps up leadership talk in Bihar

At a time when political observers were busy decoding Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan’s desire to play an active role in Bihar politics, the party’s Chief Whip and Bihar in-charge Arun Bharti dropped a political bombshell.

“Chirag Paswan is ready to lead Bihar,” he told reporters at Patna airport on Tuesday.

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“When Nitish Kumar became the chief minister in 2005, he pulled Bihar out of Jungle Raj and delivered good governance. But the time has come when youth should lead Bihar and transform it into a fully-developed state under the guidance of PM Narendra Modi,” said Bharti, who is also brother-in-law and a close confidant of Chirag.

The LJP (R) president has repeatedly expressed his intention to contest the Assembly elections through various platforms, while maintaining that he has no ambition to become chief minister.

He has been repeatedly saying that he wants to play an active role in making Bihar a developed state and stop migration to other states, which is not possible unless he quits Delhi and spends his energy in Bihar. Recently, he also mentioned that his return to Bihar would help his party to further enhance its support base.

He added, “Sometimes, when national leaders contest state elections, it does help the party grow. If my participation consolidates the party’s position, enhances the strike rate and strengthens the NDA’s position in Bihar, I will contest the assembly elections.”

While Chirag’s return to state politics is being seen in many quarters as a challenge to the JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar, many political observers have dubbed it as pure rhetoric aimed at positioning himself to ask for a better share of seats.

With five Lok Sabha MPs, the party has expressed hope to contest on 45-50 Assembly seats. Sources said that eventually the party would agree to 30-35 Assembly seats. But sources in the BJP and JD(U) said that the LJP (R) will not get more than 20 to 22 seats.

Now, all eyes are on the LJP (R)’s ‘Nav Sankalp Sabha’ on 8 June in Arrah in the Bhojpur district of Bihar, where Chirag Paswan is expected to announce his next political move.