, has always displayed unwavering loyalty to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the NDA.){kind=link}
In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) faced a setback. Its overall performance weakened in Bihar, securing only 30 seats compared to 39 in 2019. However, amidst this downward trend, one alliance partner emerged as a shining star, Chirag Paswan ‘s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) [LJP(RV)]. This party achieved an impressive 100 percent strike rate, winning all five seats it contested.
Chirag Paswan: The Loyal ‘Hanuman’
Chirag Paswan, the youthful and charismatic leader of the LJP(RV), has always displayed unwavering loyalty to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the NDA. In an exclusive interview with India Today TV, he proudly described himself as “Narendra Modi’s Hanuman.” Despite internal rifts within his party, with his uncle Pashupati Paras breaking away to form a separate faction, Chirag remained steadfast in his support for the BJP-led alliance.
The Winning Strategy
The BJP’s decision to allocate five seats to Chirag Paswan’s LJP(RV) faction, while excluding Pashupati Paras from the seat-sharing deal in Bihar, proved to be a masterstroke. This strategic move paid off handsomely, as the LJP(RV) swept all five constituencies it contested – Hajipur, Jamui, Khagaria, Samastipur, and Vaishali.
Impressive Victories
Chirag Paswan himself won the Hajipur seat by a massive margin of 1,70,105 votes, defeating the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate Shiv Chandra Ram. Moreover, his brother-in-law Arun Bharti triumphed in Jamui, outperforming the RJD’s Archana Kumari by 1,12,482 votes. In Khagaria, party leader Rajesh Verma secured victory with a 1,61,131 vote lead over the Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate. Shambhavi Chaudhary, a young leader, emerged victorious in Samastipur, defeating the Congress candidate by a staggering 1,87,251 votes. Lastly, Veena Devi clinched the Vaishali seat, beating the RJD’s Vijay Kumar (alias Munna Shukla) by 89,634 votes.
Consolidating the Vote Bank
The LJP(RV)’s success can be attributed to Chirag Paswan’s tireless efforts in consolidating the party’s traditional Dalit vote bank. With a 6.47 percent vote share in Bihar, comprising 6 percent of the Dalit community’s votes, the party demonstrated its ability to mobilize its core support base effectively.
In a scenario where the NDA’s performance in Bihar and other states like Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra was lacklustre, Chirag Paswan’s LJP(RV) emerged as a bright spot. By delivering a clean sweep in all five seats it contested, the party has solidified its position as a valuable asset for the NDA in Bihar. With his unwavering loyalty and strategic acumen, Chirag Paswan has proven himself to be the ‘Hanuman’ who delivered for the alliance in this crucial state.