Chirag Paswan slams Congress-RJD, skips to mention name of to contest upcoming Assembly poll

File photo of Lok Jan Shakti Party leader Chirag Paswan. | Photo Credit: The Hindu

Skipping from announcing the name of the seat to contest Chirag Paswan, leader of Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) at party’s “Nav Sankalp Mahasabha” on Sunday (June 8, 2025) at Ara in Shahabad area of Bihar, slammed the previous regime of Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal while praising heap on ruling NDA governments for developments. Earlier, Mr Paswan’s party leaders had said he would announce name of the general seat to contest in the upcoming assembly elections from the Ara meeting.

“From where I’ll contest the poll (assembly poll), you (people) have to decide”, he quipped while, the gathered crowd and the country was watching Mr Paswan to reveal the name of the constituency he would contest the poll from the party meeting on Sunday, June 8’ 2025. Mr Paswan, recently, had indicated that if his party would want he too would contest the upcoming assembly elections from Bihar as the move would “boost party cadres”.

“The experiment has been done earlier by BJP as well and the result of it has been positive”, said Mr Paswan. His senior party leaders, though, had announced that Mr Paswan would contest the poll from a “general seat” instead of reserved one. “He may contest from a general seat of Shahabad area which includes Ara and other three districts”, indicated party MP from Jamui and Mr Paswan’s brother-in-law, Arun Bharti. Mr Paswan who is three-time MP, is currently party member of Lok Sabha rom reserved seat of Hajipur in Vaishali district.

Later, recalling that it was Congress party which had dethroned the Karpoori Thakur government in 1980, the year and thereafter had seen several massacres in the state, Mr Paswan said, “it was not the jungle raj of 15 years but of 25-years of both Congress party and RJD”. In 1990, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad had become the chief minister of the state and governed it for next 15-years until November 2005 when chief minister Nitish Kumar took over the regime to lead governments.

Shahabad area of Bihar comprises four districts of Bhojpur, Buxar, Rohtas and Kaimur which has 22 assembly seats and in last 2020 assembly elections the Opposition Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) had performed well than the ruling NDA block in this area.

“Give your support to me and I’ll give you a developed state. I’ll not take rest until Bihar will be a developed state”, appealed Mr Paswan and the gathered crowd of mostly youth cheered loudly in party’s meeting at Ara. Mr Paswan also mentioned about his party’s catch line of “Bihar First, Bihari First” several times and without taking names of anyone, said, “they wanted to finish Bihar First and Bihari First and so Chirag Paswan but Chirag Paswan will not be finished by anyone”. “They broke my family, my party but Chirag Paswan is son of a lion, Ram Vilas Paswan and will not be broken”, he roared. “I don’t fear anyone”, he asserted while adding, “whatever I’ve to do, I’ll do for Bihar’s development”.

“By 2047 when the country will be a developed nation — every village, every panchayat, every block and every district of Bihar too will be developed”, he said and the crowd cheered loudly again.

While praising the NDA government of which his party LJP (RV) is a constituent, Mr Paswan is a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led cabinet at the center, he said, “Baba Saheb Ambedkar got Bharat Ratna, Karpoori Thakur got Bharat Ratna in this regime of NDA government. “Dreams of Karpoori Thakur and Baba Saheb Ambedkar were carried forward by PM Modi and CM Nitish Kumar ji”, he added.

“By ‘Bihar First and, Bihari First’ slogan I want to make Bihar from where no youth has to go outside the state for education or migrate for employment”, he asserted. Assembly elections in Bihar are due in October-November later this year.

Another NDA ally Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) led by party leader Upendra Kushwaha too addressed a party meeting “Samvidhanik Adhikar, parishiman sudhar (constitutional rights, delimitation reforms) at Club ground in Muzaffarpur on Sunday, June 8’ 2025.

Published - June 08, 2025 04:28 pm IST