Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan has signaled that his party is eager to “actively participate” in the formation of the new National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in Bihar. Crucially, he also expressed his personal belief that Nitish Kumar will continue as the Chief Minister of the state.

The LJP(RV)’s stance follows the NDA’s overwhelming victory in the 2025 Bihar assembly elections, where the coalition secured a commanding tally of 202 out of 243 seats. Paswan’s party emerged as a significant winner within the alliance, securing 19 seats out of the 28 it contested—a remarkable turnaround from the previous election where the LJP had virtually no representation in the state assembly.

Confidence in Nitish Kumar’s Return

Addressing the media, Paswan was definitive in his personal view regarding the Chief Minister’s post, despite the BJP emerging as the single-largest party with 89 seats (compared to JD(U)’s 85).

“As far as I believe, CM Nitish Kumar will once again become the chief minister,” Chirag Paswan stated.

He did, however, maintain the alliance’s official line that the selection of the Chief Minister would follow constitutional procedure, with the elected legislators of the NDA sitting together to choose their leader. Paswan’s party has already elected state party president Raju Tiwari as the leader of the LJP(RV)’s legislators’ parliamentary board.

Ready to Join the Government

Paswan confirmed his party’s intention to move from being a supporting ally to an active governing partner, a decision facilitated by their strong electoral performance.

“Yes, we too are looking forward to joining the government. Earlier, we used to say that we supported the government but were not part of it — only because we had no representation in the state legislature,” he said.

When questioned about whether the LJP(RV) would stake a claim to the Deputy Chief Minister’s post, Paswan declined to comment, deferring the decision to the collective meeting of the NDA partners. Given the LJP(RV)’s stellar strike rate and seat tally, which boosted the NDA’s total past the 200-seat mark, Paswan is now in a strong position to negotiate for significant cabinet roles.

Mending Fences and Shifting Political Narrative

Paswan made a pointed effort to dismiss the long-running narrative of political tension between himself and Nitish Kumar, a rift that was highly publicized during the 2020 elections.

“The opposition created a false narrative that I was not on good terms with Nitish Kumar,” he said. The newfound cohesion was physically demonstrated when LJP(RV) representatives met the JD(U) chief minister immediately after the victory to congratulate him and discuss future coordination.

Analysis of LJP(RV)’s Electoral Success

The Union Minister highlighted the significance of his party’s victory, especially considering their history:

• The NDA leadership allocated 29 seats to the LJP(RV) despite the party having no sitting MLA in the outgoing assembly.
• Of the 19 seats the LJP(RV) won, the NDA did not have sitting MLAs on 16 of them.
• In specific seats, LJP(RV) managed victories in constituencies that the NDA had not won in 10 to 15 years.

Paswan also reflected on the 2020 elections, where the LJP’s decision to contest outside the alliance ultimately “benefitted the RJD,” allowing it to emerge as the single largest party at the time. He framed the 2025 mandate as a complete rejection of the opposition: “The Mahagathbandhan and RJD have been wiped out in Bihar. The people of Bihar have completely eradicated the mindset that spreads casteism and communalism.”

He concluded with a promise to govern for all: “Our government will rise above caste, creed and religion and work for the inclusive growth and development of the state.”

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