Bihar election results 2025: How Chirag Paswan emerged as the man of the match with 1,800% gains

NEW DELHI: The two senior Bihar NDA constituents — the BJP and chief minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) — may have swept the assembly elections between themselves. But it was Union minister Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), which brought in the extra seats and powered the coalition’s march beyond the 200-seat mark.Though the counting of votes is still underway and results are still being declared, the LJP (RV) has won or is leading in 19 constituencies. If it wins all those seats, it would end with a strike rate of 68 per cent and would have a won a whopping 1800 per cent more seats than in 2020.

How LJP (RV) candidates fared

The NDA’s decision to allocate 29 constituencies to the LJP (Ram Vilas) had drawn attention — and some unease — within the alliance. The two smaller partners, Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLP), were each given six seats to contest.

The LJP (RV) was allotted the following assembly constituencies: Govindganj, Simri Bakhtiarpur, Darauli, Garkha, Sahebpur Kamal, Bakhri, Parbatta, Nathnagar, Paliganj, Brahmapur, Dehri, Balrampur, Makhdumpur, Obra, Sugauli, Belsand, Marhaura, Sherghati, Bodhgaya, Rajauli, Govindpur, Bochha, Bakhtiarpur, Fatuha, Bahadurganj, Mahua, Chenari, Maner and Kasba.However, the party ultimately contested 28 seats, as the nomination of its Marhaura candidate, Seema Singh, was rejected.

The LJP (RV) chose not to field a replacement, and the NDA instead extended support to independent candidate Ankit Kumar.

LJP (RV)'s previous performances The party was established in 2021 following a power tussle between Chirag Paswan and his uncle, Pashupati Kumar Paras, which resulted in the split of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) into two factions. The faction led by Paswan was named the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) in memory of his late father, Ram Vilas Paswan, who passed away in 2020, while the group headed by Paras came to be known as the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party.Formed in 2000 by Ram Vilas Paswan, the original LJP made a strong debut in the February 2005 Bihar assembly elections, winning 29 seats (178 contested) in a contest that produced a fractured verdict. However, its tally dropped to 10 (202 contested) in the re-election held in October the same year. The party’s strength further declined to three seats in 2010 and just two in 2015. In the 2020 assembly polls, despite being an NDA ally, the LJP contested 134 seats independently, winning only one — but inflicting considerable damage on the Janata Dal (United).

Chirag vs Tejashwi in 2030?The success of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) has vindicated what was once seen as a risky move, firmly consolidating Chirag Paswan’s standing within the NDA. The outcome is likely to further endear the Hajipur MP to the BJP leadership — particularly Prime Minister Narendra Modi — whom Paswan has described himself as being “Hanuman” to. The young actor-turned-politician’s rising influence could also set the stage for a future political face-off with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav for Bihar’s chief ministerial post in the 2030 assembly elections.