Is Chirag Paswan heading to become Bihar’s next deputy CM? LJP’s stunning performance fuels speculation

Chirag Paswan entered the Bihar elections calling himself the “salt” that completes any political dish. As results came in, he proved the point. Winning 19 of the 29 seats allotted to his Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), the 43-year-old leader became one of the biggest factors pushing the NDA past the 200-seat mark.

What explains his sudden rise?

Chirag’s growing influence had already become visible during seat-sharing talks. Despite winning only one seat in the 2020 assembly polls, he secured a fair deal from the NDA this time. His bargaining strength came from the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where his party won all five seats it contested.

This victory also pushed aside the claim his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras made on Ram Vilas Paswan’s political legacy. The NDA made its position clear by not offering Paras a single seat.

How did he outperform past records?

In 2020, contesting solo, the LJP(RV) won just one of the 136 seats it fought, and even that MLA switched to JD(U). But in 2025, within the NDA fold, the party swept 19 seats, 17 of which were earlier held by the Mahagathbandhan.

Scheduled Castes form nearly 20% of Bihar’s population, and Chirag’s appeal among these voters strengthened the NDA’s position. His strike rate also matched the confidence he had expressed through the campaign.

Why did the NDA-LJP(RV)-JD(U) equation matter?

In 2020, Chirag’s candidates had harmed JD(U) by competing mainly on Nitish Kumar’s seats. This time, the two leaders worked to repair ties. Chirag softened his criticism, while Nitish made a symbolic visit to his home during Chhath to signal unity. Only after this patch-up did Chirag concentrate on the Shahabad region, where the NDA had performed poorly earlier.

What role does Chirag seek now?

With his party emerging as the NDA’s third-largest partner, the question shifted to the deputy chief minister’s post. Chirag has said someone from his party may take that role, though he prefers to focus on his Union ministry for now.

He sees a larger future ahead — possibly a shift to state politics by 2030 — but says his central motivation remains the people of Bihar.