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Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Amid Bihar nepotism row, a look at LJP's churn: Paswan's brothers to rise of Chirag's brothers-in-law
The brothers-in-law of RJD president Lalu Prasad, Aniruddh Prasad or Sadhu Yadav and Subhash Yadav, were once known as influential RJD leaders in Bihar. Both Sadhu, former Lok Sabha member, and Subhash, ex-Rajya Sabha MP, are the younger brothers of Lalu's wife and ex-Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi, who fell out with Lalu after 2010 and were since marginalised in state politics. With RJD leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, recently raking up the issue of nepotism while alleging that several NDA leaders have cornered various plum government positions for their relatives, such as brothers-in-law or sons-in-law, the political ascendancy of some of them has come into focus now. Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) founder and ex-Union minister, late Ram Vilas Paswan, had often drawn criticism for promoting his younger brothers and ex-MPs, Pashupati Kumar Paras and Ramchandra Paswan (who passed away in 2019), in state politics. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the LJP won six seats in Bihar, three of which were bagged by the members of the Paswan family, which included Paswan from Hajipur, son Chirag Paswan from Jamui, and Ramchandra from Samastipur. Paswan's first wife Rajkumari Devi lives in his ancestral Shaharbanni village in Khagaria. Their two daughters, Asha and Usha, are married, respectively, to Dhananjay alias Mrinal Paswan and Anil alias Sadhu Paswan. Must R LJP(Ram Vilas) chief and Union Minister Chirag Paswan and his elder sister Nisha are the children of Paswan and his second wife Reena. Following Paswan's demise in 2020, Chirag suffered another setback in 2021 when his uncle Pashupati split the LJP with the party's five out of six Lok Sabha MPs joining him. Pashupati became the head of the breakaway party outfit called National Lok Janshakti Party (NLJP) with Chirag taking charge of the LJP(RV). Subsequently, Chirag started visiting Shaharbanni more frequently to meet his stepmother Rajkumari. When she had been engaged in a property dispute with Pashupati early this year, Chirag made it a point to visit her in the village. This sent out a signal to Pashupati that Chirag was backing his stepmother. Chirag also distanced himself from his cousin Prince Paswan, who had become the Samastipur MP after the death of his father Ramchandra. Prince had also turned a rebel by joining the NLJP, which is now struggling for survival after being snubbed by the NDA. When Chirag, after his return to the NDA ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, looked to contest from his father's traditional constituency Hajipur, he decided to give the LJP(RV) ticket to his brother-in-law Arun Bharti, husband of Nisha, from Jamui – the seat Chirag represented for two terms from 2014 to 2024. While Chirag clinched his father's bastion Hajipur by a huge margin, Arun Bharti also had a smooth sailing in Jamui. Bharti, who has an MBA degree, also belongs to a political family with his mother Jyoti having been an MLC twice. Bharti had been working as a business entrepreneur in Delhi till Chirag convinced him to contest the 2024 parliamentary polls. After the LJP(RV)'s success in the Lok Sabha polls, with the party winning all five seats it contested, and Chirag's induction into the Cabinet of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government 3.0, Bharti became a close confidant of the party chief. Recently, it was Bharti who first said, in a social media post, that the LJP(RV) workers wanted Chirag to contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections and that too from a general seat 'so that the message goes out that he is now ready to lead the entire Bihar and not just one section'. While Chirag kept people guessing, a buzz was created around the LJP (RV)'s projection of 'nav netritva (new leadership)' for Bihar. On June 8, addressing a rally in Arah, Chirag announced that he would contest the Bihar Assembly polls from a seat that 'people decide for him', ending weeks of speculation over his return to state politics. LJP(RV) sources said Bharti is likely to play a 'bigger role' in the Bihar polls. 'While Bharti has been asked to keep focusing on his Jamui constituency, he has also been given additional responsibility to strategise for the party for the Assembly polls', said an LJP (RV) leader. On his part, Bharti calls himself a 'soldier of LJP(RV) and Chirag Paswan'. In the spotlight now, is also Chirag's another brother-in-law Mrinal Paswan, who has been the LJP(RV) national general secretary after having been a government employee in the excise department for 26 years. As part of the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government's recent move to reconstitute several commissions, Mrinal Paswan was appointed as the Bihar State Scheduled Caste Commission's chairperson. Devendra Kumar Manjhi, son-in-law of HAM (S) chief and Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, was made this Commission's vice chairperson. Amid Tejashwi's bid to attack the Nitish government over nepotism, Mrinal said: 'I now hold a responsible position and would not react to any political allegations'. Hailing Chirag, he also said that he would try to redress the grievances of Dalits in his role as the SC panel head.
News18
12-06-2025
- Politics
- News18
In BJP's 5-Point Bihar Plan, No Room For Complacency As RJD Looks Set To Copy Akhilesh's SP
Last Updated: The BJP sources said the NDA has much in its favour in Bihar and expects to win the state this October under Nitish Kumar's leadership No anti-incumbency, a favourable caste combination, a positive atmosphere due to Operation Sindoor, the caste census card, and sympathy for Nitish Kumar—this is the BJP's game plan for the crucial Bihar election battle later this year. However, the party is ensuring no complacency or overconfidence in what is expected to be a tough caste clash, top BJP sources told CNN-News18. They said the NDA has much in its favour in Bihar and expects to win the state this October under Nitish Kumar's leadership. But the party remains cautious and is avoiding overconfidence, aware that Bihar is a 'caste battle" and the RJD is aggressively courting caste groups beyond its Yadav-Muslim base, one of these top BJP sources said. 'There is certainly no anti-incumbency. People appreciate the development they have seen in Bihar under the NDA government," the source said. RJD learning from SP's success The top BJP source added that the BJP recognises that the Rashtriya Janata Dal is attempting to replicate Akhilesh Yadav's 2024 Lok Sabha election strategy by giving many tickets to candidates outside the Yadav-Muslim demographic in the upcoming assembly polls. The Samajwadi Party had bruised the BJP in Uttar Pradesh last year by allocating numerous tickets to non-Yadav OBCs and winning 37 Lok Sabha seats, its best-ever performance. A second BJP source said the National Democratic Alliance has a stronger caste combination than the opposition. The recent caste census announcement is also expected to benefit the NDA. 'Much is said about Nitish Kumar's health by the opposition, but he will likely receive considerable sympathy votes in these Bihar polls," this source said. Operation Sindoor impact Bihar will also be the first state to hold elections after Operation Sindoor, and the Bharatiya Janata Party has ground feedback suggesting a positive resonance in this Hindi-belt state, where anti-Pakistan sentiment is strong. The Prime Minister has already held two rallies in Bihar since April, addressing the action against Pakistan. Narendra Modi will be in Siwan, an RJD stronghold, on June 20. Congress prospects dim, Chirag burns bright The BJP is banking on the RJD again allocating a substantial number of seats to the Congress. In the last assembly elections, while the RJD had a reasonable strike rate, winning 75 of the 144 seats it contested, the Congress secured only 19 of the 70 seats it contested. The Janata Dal (United) won just 43 seats, as Chirag Paswan's party significantly dented it by contesting independently. A top BJP source noted a significant change: Chirag is now with the NDA and demonstrated a good strike rate in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, winning five seats. Chirag recently stated that he would contest the assembly polls from a general seat and is vying for a deputy CM position. 'He has a good vote base in the Patna-Hajipur region and has his own ambitions," the BJP source added. The second BJP source said seat distribution in Bihar would be smooth, despite the ambitions of regional players like the JD(U) and Chirag's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). 'Our leader so far is Nitish Kumar," the source said. He added that even the RJD knows the Congress will likely underperform in the opposition camp if given a considerable number of seats, as demonstrated in previous Hindi heartland elections.
The Hindu
08-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
From Parliament to Patna
The crowd lustily waves red-blue-green flags carrying Ram Vilas Paswan's photograph alongside the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas)'s [LJP (RV)] helicopter symbol at the 'Nav-Sankalp' (new resolution) rally at Shahbad in south-west Bihar. On the stage heaving with party functionaries, one of the men places a magenta turban on Chirag Paswan's head. Chirag, whose name translates to lamp, is a Union Cabinet Minister and the party's president. A thick vermillion tika bisects his forehead. He is handed a naked sword, which he raises to the crowd that roars in approval. The crowd — mostly men in their youth — has been waiting for hours under a white canopy, which barely keeps the sun out. They want to hear him speak. This is his first public address after he announced his intent to contest the Bihar Assembly election. So far, his sound bytes to the media have been framed in 'ifs' and 'buts'. No one knows which seat he will contest from. The restive crowd is waiting for clarity. He paces through various themes, attacking the Congress for alleged 'years of neglect', hailing the NDA government in Bihar led by the Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar, and recalling the split in the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) after his father's death. In 2021, his uncle, Pashupati Paras, walked away with five out of six Parliamentarians. Somewhere at the halfway mark, his face glistening with sweat, he finally comes to what the crowd has been waiting for. 'Haan main Bihar se chunav ladunga…. Bihar ke liye ladunga,' (Yes, I will contest from Bihar; in fact, I will fight for Bihar.) There are no more details. 'It is for you to decide: should Chirag Paswan contest the Assembly election and from which seat? Chirag Paswan will do what you tell him to,' he says, referring to himself in third person, the way politicians often do. Then, 'Let me assure you: whatever I do, it will be for Bihar.' Chirag currently holds the Hajipur Parliamentary seat that his father, Ram Vilas Paswan, won eight times. Ram Vilas had been in politics for five decades until his death in 2020. The LJP was formed in November 2000 by Ram Vilas as a Dalit-centric party. Chirag has been an active politician — after what he himself calls his 'failed stint' in Bollywood — since 2013. In the past, he was elected from the Jamui constituency. The Bihar election will take place later this year, for 243 Assembly seats. At 43, Chirag has committed to moving from national to Bihar politics. This is unlike his father, Dalit leader Ram Vilas, who went from one Cabinet to another, headed by Prime Ministers of different persuasions, remaining firmly in Delhi. Chirag has chosen Bihar as his battleground. Over the past month the LJP (RV) has plastered posters across Bihar, of Chirag wearing a silver crown, like the shiny plasticky versions used by local theatre groups for period dramas. 'Bihar Kar Raha Hai Tajposhi Ka Intezaar' (Bihar is waiting to crown him) a poster declares, indicating his Chief Ministerial ambitions. Rocky relationships This is the first Assembly election in Bihar where the LJP (RV) will be contesting alongside Nitish Kumar and campaigning for votes on his behalf. Opposing them are the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Congress, and the CPI (ML). 'Our voters may not switch to the other side (RJD-led coalition) but what if they simply do not step out to vote? We have to bring them to the polling booth,' a close aide of Chirag says. Chirag's and Kumar's relationship has always been rocky. Only five years ago, Chirag ran the Assembly election under the slogan, 'Modi se bair nahi, Nitish teri khair nahi' (There's no enmity with Modi, but we won't spare Nitish). This was despite the LJP being in the NDA together with Kumar's JD(U). Chirag's ailing father was still a Union Minister. Ahead of the election Chirag ran a campaign discrediting Kumar's administration, highlighting the gaps in delivery of welfare schemes, and training the spotlight over Bihar's backwardness. It dealt a sharp blow to JD(U) and Nitish Kumar's brand, with the party being reduced to 43 seats, a distant third behind the RJD and BJP. In 2000, Ram Vilas was against Kumar as Chief Minister, batting for a BJP CM and arguing that they were the rightful claimants with the highest tally of seats among the allies. But the BJP ignored him to anoint Kumar, who could stay in the seat for just seven days. That was the last time Kumar and Chirag fought the election on the same side. It was also the year of the launch of the LJP. In 2007, two years into his first full term as Chief Minister, Kumar carved out a Maha Dalit group to provide special government assistance to those marginalised within the Scheduled Caste (SC) groups. Out of the 22 sub-castes of SCs, 21 were categorised as Maha Dalit. The only sub-caste excluded was the Dusadh or Paswan. It was only in 2018 that this exclusion ended, bringing the Paswans too into the fold. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the undivided LJP, the BJP, and the JD(U), in a seat-sharing arrangement, decided to give one Rajya Sabha seat to Ram Vilas. But a few months later, just before nominations were to be filed, the father and son were sent by senior BJP functionaries to Kumar's house. There, Chirag says, he made them wait for a couple of hours and forced them to plead for the seat. At the epicentre The Hajipur Lok Sabha constituency that Ram Vilas represented is close to Patna. Hajipur town is just 40 km from the State Capital in Vaishali district. This is the epicentre of Chirag's politics. His face is everywhere: waving from walls, bowing from billboards, smiling from the backs of autorickshaws. The density of these posters is expected to rise as the election nears. Paswan Tola, a village in Hajipur dominated by the Paswans, is caught in a transition. A few brick-and-mortar houses sit awkwardly between straw-and-clay structures here. It is mid-morning, and Vinod Paswan, a rickshaw puller in his mid-40s, is eating watery dal with rice and mango pickle. This meal must serve him till he returns home in the evening. Dressed in a ganji and lungi, he rinses his steel plate and sits down in his kuchha house. 'Chirag is our king. Can one fight a battle without the king?' he says. Without him in the fray, there isn't much to look forward to in the election,' he claims. Dharamdeo Paswan, in his early 60s, lives close to Vinod's house. He says, 'I always wanted to see his father as the Prime Minister or the Chief Minister of Bihar.' He recounts the times he had seen the senior Paswan campaigning in the area. For him and many others, the switch from father to son is organic. Unlike Vinod, he is not bothered whether Chirag contests or not. 'Bihar main vote aur beti aapne jaat main dete hai,' (In Bihar, casting your vote and marrying your daughter are both decided by caste). New vs old For many, Chirag represents a new phase of Bihar's politics. 'I am very happy that Chirag Paswan is planning to contest the Assembly election. He has been an MP for the last 10 years. It's time for him to work in Bihar. His presence in the election will surely make a difference,' says Ambika Paswan, 65, a resident of Lalganj in Vaishali district. He is a retired government employee, sipping his morning tea and poring over the morning newspaper at the local tea stall. Mangesh Kumar, 27, a committed Paswan voter and resident of Patna who works as a mutual fund investor, likes that Chirag is 'young and energetic', adding that 'he has many years left in politics, whereas Nitishji these days does not look healthy.' Chirag has been incrementally building the stage for his entry into Bihar politics. In April, more than six months away from the poll, he announced to the press in Patna: 'Bihar mujhe bula raha hai,' (Bihar is calling me). He added that he would spend more time there than in Delhi. Then began sound bytes and social media from his party MPs urging him to contest the Bihar Assembly election. His brother-in-law and the party's Jamui MP upped the ante on June 1 with his post on X. The party workers, he said, want Chirag to contest from a general seat to send out the message that he was now ready to lead not just one section (the Dalits), but the whole of Bihar. However, the next day in Raipur, Chirag said to the media: 'There is no vacancy for the CM post in Bihar.' He also said, 'The party is evaluating whether my candidature will benefit it. Because when national leaders contest State elections, that strengthens your position in the election. The BJP has tried this strategy many times by fielding their MPs in the Assembly election and have benefitted.' He added that Kumar would return as the CM. The NDA is going into the poll with Nitish as their Chief Ministerial face, but a leader from Chirag's party says, 'The party is preparing for all eventualities.' With almost 20 years of Kumar's government — he is Bihar's longest serving CM — there is some voter fatigue. Nand Kishor Sharma, 45, is a lohar (blacksmith) both by caste and profession. At Gadai Sarai village, Hajipur, with temperatures rising to 40 degrees Celsius in the afternoon, Nand Kishor sits before the fire working on a shovel. He's also cooking on the side. He speaks between the rhythmic fall of his hammer. Lohars are part of the Extremely Backward Classes, a sub-group of Other Backward Classes, created by Nitish Kumar for better outreach of government-sponsored welfare schemes. 'There should be a change,' Nand Kishor declares. He asserts that Bihar needs 'young and energetic' leaders. 'I do not know who will form the government but that there are several eligible: Chirag Paswan, Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), or Samrat Choudhary (senior BJP leader, Deputy CM).' Ratnesh Kumar, 55, a resident of Muzaffarpur city in central Bihar, who runs a dry-cleaning shop, has a litany of complaints: 'I have not seen any change in the last 10 years except good roads and electricity. Crime has increased, and every day something happens and we have to close our shops. My son has been trying for a (State) government job for the past three year but there are few jobs.' Edited by Sunalini Mathew
New Indian Express
08-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
'Voters will decide my seat': LJP Ram Vilas chief Chirag Paswan confirms Bihar Assembly run
PATNA: Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief and Union Minister Chirag Paswan on Sunday announced that he would contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, but he did not name his constituency, saying he would leave that decision to the people of Bihar. Addressing the 'Nav Sankalp Sabha' organized by his party in Ara, Bhojpur district, Chirag said, 'Yes. I will contest elections from Bihar, for Bihar, and for the people of Bihar. I will contest polls from all 243 seats. The people of Bihar will decide from which seat I should contest.' He added, 'After losing my father, my own people- my uncle, Pashupati Kumar Paras, ousted me from my house. Now, the people are my family.' Sounding the poll bugle from Ara, in the Shahabad region, a challenging electoral terrain for the NDA, Chirag, son of the late Ram Vilas Paswan, said he would not just contest elections in Bihar, but would do so for Bihar and its people. He said that he would realize his father's dreams and work under the slogan 'Bihar First, Bihari First.' He had previously released the party's 'Bihar First and Bihari First' manifesto for the 2020 Assembly elections. 'At the rally, he vowed, 'I will not rest until I make Bihar a developed state.' He claimed that 'jungle raj' prevailed not only during the RJD's 15-year rule, but also during Congress's 10-year rule (1980–90). He recalled that RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav took over in 1990, and that during the Congress–RJD regime several massacres occurred in the state. Chirag added that Bihar has made tremendous progress under the double-engine government, praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for their various initiatives toward the state's growth. He also clarified that he is not aspiring to be Chief Minister; his decision to contest from an unreserved seat 'should not be construed as an ambition to become CM.' 'There is no vacancy for the post of CM,' he had said earlier.
Time of India
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Will contest Bihar assembly polls: Chirag declares from Ara
Ara: LJP(RV) national president and Union minister Chirag Paswan on Sunday formally announced that he would contest the upcoming assembly elections in the state to realise his vision of "Bihar First, Bihari First. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now " He was addressing the 'Nav Sankalp Mahasabha' held at Veer Kunwar Singh Stadium in Ramna Maidan, Ara. Amidst resounding cheers from a sea of enthusiastic supporters and party workers from seven districts — Bhojpur, Buxar, Kaimur, Rohtas, Arwal, Aurangabad, and western Patna, Chirag declared, "People frequently ask me whether I will contest the assembly elections. Today, from this Nav Sankalp Mahasabha at Ara, I want to end all speculation. Yes, I will definitely contest the Bihar assembly polls. But I will leave it to you, my party workers and leaders, to decide from which seat I should contest. " Chirag said: "I will contest this election only to make Bihar a prosperous and progressive state. Not only will I fight from my own seat, but I will campaign across all 243 constituencies to ensure a sweeping victory for the ." Chirag's address blended electoral strategy with emotional outreach. Recalling his personal and political journey post the demise of his father, LJP founder , he said, "After my father passed away, those who were supposed to support me as family and guides betrayed me. They broke not only my party but also my family. But today, all of you — my party workers — are my family." Evoking the legacy of his father, he said, "I am the son of Ram Vilas Paswan, who was as fearless as a lion. I will neither abandon my party workers nor the people of Bihar." He urged the youth to join him in halting migration from Bihar by working towards establishing world-class educational institutions and factories within the state. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Earlier in his speech, the LJP(RV) chief launched a sharp attack on the Congress and RJD, accusing both parties of perpetuating "Jungle Raj" and failing to uplift dalits. He said, "Congress shattered the dreams of Karpoori Thakur ji. The Jungle Raj, which began in the 1980s during the Congress regime, flourished further under RJD rule. Bihar saw several massacres and a spike in crime under their governance." He contrasted this with the contributions of the NDA govts, recalling that it was during VP Singh's tenure, when his father Ram Vilas Paswan was a Union minister, that B R Ambedkar was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna and his portrait installed in Parliament. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's govt for honouring Karpoori Thakur with the Bharat Ratna, a recognition denied by successive Congress regimes. LJP(RV) MPs Arun Bharati, Veena Devi, Shambhavi Choudhary and Rajesh Verma; party state president Raju Tiwari; parliamentary board president and former MLC Hulas Pandey; Yuva LJP(RV) state president Ved Prakash Pandey; Chhatra LJP(RV) national president Yamini Mishra and Bhojpur district president Rajeshwar Paswan and others were present the rally.
