"I Definitely Want To Fight The Bihar Election": Chirag Paswan Exclusive

Lok Janshakti Party boss Chirag Paswan - whose plan to fight the Bihar Assembly election later this year has set 'allies' Janta Dal United on edge - insisted Monday afternon that he does want to contest but threw in a disclaimer for good measure. "I definitely want to fight the Bihar election (and) have identified seats for the party... but whether I will or not, it will be decided by the party," he told NDTV.

"When I say the final decision will be by the party... I mean, the party (i.e., the LJP) has to decide if it will benefit us... but I definitely want to go back to Bihar," he said in comments emphasising the earlier 'I will contest for Bihar and its people... realise the dreams of my father...' declaration.

The LJP leader is part of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition that runs the federal government. His party has five Lok Sabha MPs and he is the Union Food Processing Minister.

However, ahead of the election - likely in November - he raised eyebrows by saying he plans to contest in his home state, a statement not well received by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JDU.

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In Bihar the BJP and LJP are allied with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal United. The BJP is the senior partner, but has not yet commented on Mr Paswan's 'I will contest' declaration.

It has, however, publicly backed Nitish Kumar as the leader of the state alliance.

The JDU's disquiet with Mr Paswan's announcement dates to 2020 when, allegedly egged on by the BJP, he party sided against the JDU. This, Nitish Kumar party seniors still maintain, ate into their votes and allowed the BJP to become as the dominant partner in the state-level alliance.

The JDU, it seems, is concerned about something similar, perhaps even a challenge to Nitish Kumar and the chief minister's post that he has made his in recent decades, in this election.

The party has insisted Mr Paswan's plans to contest are a 'personal choice'.

This choice has not, and will not, be supported by the BJP, JDU sources said, suggesting also that Mr Paswan might be laying the ground to drive a harder bargain during seat allocation.

READ | "Yes, Will Contest From Bihar," Says Chirag Paswan. Then Adds A Twist

Meanwhile, asked if the BJP had any input on his election plans or if his decision to contest might displease the larger party, Mr Paswan told NDTV he saw no reason for concern.

"I may be in an alliance with the BJP... but they have no say in if I will fight this election. And I don't think contesting the Bihar poll will disturb the equation within the alliance," he said.

"If we fight together (i.e., the BJP, JDU, and LJP combined) then we can get a good result."

The ruling alliance has completed groundwork for seat allocation, sources told NDTV earlier this month.

READ | Caste Survey? Check. Phase 1 Of BJP-Led Alliance's Bihar Poll Prep Done

While nothing has been formalised, sources said the LJP is unlikely to get more than 30 of the state's 243 seats, while the BJP and JDU are likely to get over a 100 each. This would make it impossible for Mr Paswan's party to win enough seats to stake any claim to primacy of position in the state alliance.

On that point Mr Paswan said the 'quality' of each seat offered mattered to him. "In the Lok Sabha election I fought only five seats I was sure we would win... so quality of seats matters."

That, however, does not mean the LJP will be satisfied with fewer seats, Mr Paswan said, setting up an intriguing build-up to the 2025 Bihar Assembly election.

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