"Like Salt On Vegetables': Chirag Paswan's 25,000 Votes Bihar Poll Warning For BJP

Chirag Paswan has fired yet another warning shot across the bows of Bihar's ruling BJP-JDU alliance ahead of the Assembly election later this year. In an exclusive interview with NDTV Tuesday, the Union Minister and LJP (Ram Vilas) boss reminded his 'allies' of his ability to influence votes - 'I'm like salt on vegetables... I can affect 20,000 to 25,000 votes in every constituency' - and his own political ambitions.

Mr Paswan is bargaining hard for a bigger slice of Bihar's 243 seats; in the 2020 election the LJP (then still undivided following the death of his father, Ram Vilas) claimed just one of 135 seats it contested. But in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Chirag Paswan's LJP faction won all five seats it contested.

In vote share terms that was nearly a one percentage point jump. On the back of that, Mr Paswan has signalled to the BJP 'yeh dil maange more'. Sources told NDTV he wants 40 seats. Mr Paswan would only tell NDTV, "I want a decent number of seats... I have a number in mind and I want quality seats."

"But I would not like to disclose those in a public forum. That would be unethical for a coalition partner," he said, pointing out the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance has not formally started seat-share talks.

Equally, he would not be drawn on rumours he is bidding to replace JDU patriarch Nitish Kumar as Bihar's next Chief Minister. "My supporters want to see me as Chief Minister," he acknowledged, "But this is very normal... for supporters to dream big for their leaders. I don't see anything wrong in that."

He did, however, take pains to point out the LJP (Ram Vilas) is not formally a member of the ruling alliance in Bihar, which is fronted by the Janata Dal (United). "I'm not part of the NDA government in Bihar. I am just supporting the government. I am part of the NDA only at the centre," he told NDTV.

And, in a comment that will be seen as putting his current allies on alert, he also pointed out, "If I am uncomfortable or I am too ambitious... I always have the option of walking out of the alliance."

The LJP is backed by the Paswan community that accounts for six per cent of Bihar's voters.

Chirag Paswan (L) and Nitish Kumar with Prime Minister Narendra Modi (File).

The BJP - while it will not be dictated to unless necessary (as after last year's federal election, when it had to accept support from the JDU and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's TDP) - has offered Chirag Paswan 25 seats. It is, however, aware he can hurt its re-election bid, and defeat in Bihar not only robs it of a heartland state but also give the opposition INDIA bloc a massive boost.

NDTV Explains | Why The BJP Has A Chirag Paswan-Shaped Problem In Bihar

Chirag Paswan's Bihar tilt is, therefore, seen as presenting the BJP with a bit of a problem.

If no deal is reached the BJP might lose Paswan votes but, if too many concessions are made, other allies, including the JDU, with whom Mr Paswan has a tenuous relationship, will likely be offended.

Mr Paswan has been alternatively critical of and friendly towards Nitish Kumar, pivoting from attacking the JDU leader on the law-and-order situation in Bihar to endorsing him as the chief ministerial face.

"I am critical of Nitish Kumar's government on the law-and-order front," he told NDTV, but insisted, "That is how it should be. This is my way of giving feedback to my own government."

The repeated jabs at the JDU have not gone unnoticed; in August sources said the BJP's central leadership had spoken, quietly, to Mr Paswan about playing nice with Nitish Kumar.

The jabs seem to have also opened rifts in the ruling alliance; ex-Chief Minister Jitan Manjhi, for example, took a dig of his own last week, reminding Mr Paswan of the LJP's poor performance in 2020.

On that topic Mr Paswan was diplomatic, telling NDTV, "Jitan Ram Manjhi is a respected leader. His stature is much higher than mine (but) he has something against me. I don't completely understand."

The comment, he said, was simply the HAMS leader "trying to position himself" before the election.

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