CHIRAG THE DARK HORSE IN BIHAR POLLS?

From a one-film “non-wonder” to a political “non-entity” and now a Union minister... it has been a stupendous turnaround for Ram Vilas Paswan’s son Chirag, MP from Hajipur constituency who is also a mantri in the Modi 3.0 government.

- Robin Roy

Paswan Junior has truly been the “Chirag of hope” for the Paswan Parivar.

After he took over the reins of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), both the party and Chirag have witnessed a steady rise in political fortune and today he is being considered as one of the most influential youth leaders of poll-bound Bihar.

He is also a darling of the NDA as his party, an ally of the NDA, secured all five seats in Bihar for the BJP.

Chirag’s entry into politics has also been a turning point for LJP. It may be noted that he had played a vital role in stitching an alliance with the BJP in 2014 while convincing his politically seasoned dad to revive the partnership which was amputated in 2002 following the Gujarat riots.

Also, the BJP’s decision to back Chirag over his aging uncle Paras was more than optics. By aligning with Chirag, the BJP consolidated the Paswan vote bank and managed to add a dynamic and youthful face to the NDA coalition in general.

However, for the BJP, Paras’s defection to the RJD is being looked more as an inconsequential matter in the bigger scheme of things. Also, the Saffron party believes that given the current context, Chirag’s entry boosts the BJP’s confidence in its control over Dalit votes especially once where Paras had the command.

And results were seen on the ground in almost no time. Chirag’s revitalized LJP won six seats in 2014 from a cipher in 2009. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the LJP won six seats