Chirag Paswan Confirms Bihar Poll Run, Leaves Constituency Choice to Voters

Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan declared at a rally in Ara, Bhojpur district, on Sunday that he will contest the forthcoming Bihar assembly polls.

I will fight the assembly elections in Bihar. I will fight not only in Bihar but for Bihar and Biharis. I am Ramvilas Paswan's son. I will fulfill my father's dreams and fight for 'Bihar first, Bihari first' to transform Bihar," Paswan added, quoting the slogan he had launched before the 2020 assembly polls when he was at the helm of his father's Lok Janshakti Party.

The 42-year-old Hajpur MP further said, "It is upto the people of Bihar to decide where from in the state I shall contest the next assembly elections. Whenever I make a political choice, I make it in the interest of the state and the people."

Paswan's rebellion in the 2020 elections is said to have helped bring down Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U), which is also a BJP ally, in some of the constituencies. He explained that his preference to fight from an unreserved seat must not be misinterpreted as a sign of any chief ministerial aspirations. "Let me make one thing very clear.". My contest would only guarantee a higher strike rate for my party, which would benefit the NDA," he explained.

Responding to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s remarks about the elections, Paswan accused him of conceding defeat in Bihar. “The problem with Congress and its leaders is that when introspection is needed, they look for excuses for losing elections. If Rahul Gandhi needs to find faults in any institution, it should not be a constitutional institution, but his own Congress party,” Paswan said.

He also criticized Gandhi for holding the Election Commission responsible and doubting the integrity of EVMs, saying, "Blaming the Election Commission, accusing someone of rigging elections, saying the EVM is malfunctioning, all this indicates that Rahul Gandhi has already conceded defeat in the Bihar Assembly polls. Next, these people will be losing states like Assam and Bengal," Chirag Paswan said to the media.