Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan has reaffirmed his strong support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ruling out any post-poll alliance changes in Bihar. His party is part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the ongoing assembly elections.
Speaking on the ANI podcast released a day before the second phase of voting, Paswan expressed his personal admiration for the Prime Minister. He said, "I want to emphasise again that as long as my Prime Minister is there, I am absolutely not going anywhere. My dedication and my love remain. I love him a bit too much."
When asked if his association with the NDA existed only because of PM Modi, Paswan replied, “Of course.”
Paswan Confident Despite Election Speculation
Responding to suggestions that the Bihar election results, due on November 14, may not favour him, Paswan said he welcomed such predictions.
He remarked, “Such thinking averts the evil eye.”
Paswan also highlighted his late father’s political principles, saying, "I am the son of Ram Vilas Paswan ji. Whoever has seen his politics knows that the same values are within me because I am a part of him."
He added that his father, Ram Vilas Paswan, never entered a post-poll alliance, despite critics labeling him a “weatherman.” Chirag noted, “Whichever alliance he chose to go with always came to power.”
The LJP’s Shifting Political Journey
The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), founded in 2000, has had a long and complex political journey. Initially, it was part of the NDA, which governed at the Centre at the time. However, following the Godhra riots, the party broke away from the NDA in 2002 and joined the UPA in 2004, where Ram Vilas Paswan served as a cabinet minister.
In 2014, the LJP returned to the NDA, and Ram Vilas Paswan again held key portfolios in the Narendra Modi government.
After his death in 2020, internal rifts surfaced between Chirag Paswan and his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras over party leadership. The dispute resulted in five of the six LJP MPs supporting Paras, who became their parliamentary leader.
Split and Reunification Within the Paswan Camp
In June 2021, the LJP officially split into two factions — the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) led by Chirag Paswan and the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party headed by Pashupati Kumar Paras.
During the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, Paras sided with the NDA, while Chirag Paswan contested independently, opposing the JD(U).
However, Chirag rejoined the NDA ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. His party went on to win all five seats it contested in Bihar, marking a strong comeback. In contrast, Pashupati Paras did not contest in that election.