Pashupati Paras takes on nephew Chirag Paswan

Digital Desk

One of the most intriguing contests in Bihar’s election is the clash between uncle Pashupati Paras and nephew Chirag Paswan. Both are claiming the legacy of late LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan. While Chirag has secured his place in the NDA, Pashupati Paras could not find a seat in the grand alliance.

In response, Pashupati Paras has decided to contest the elections independently. He has announced candidates for 25 seats and has also fielded his son from one constituency. Notably, he has put up candidates on five seats where Chirag Paswan’s nominees are also contesting. These seats are Bakhri, Sahibpur Kamal, Chenari, Garkha, and Mahuwa.

Political analysts believe that this direct contest between the two Dalit leaders on reserved seats could affect Chirag’s prospects, potentially benefiting the grand alliance.

Which seat is Pashupati Paras’ son contesting from? How will the battles on these five seats impact Chirag Paswan? Read the full report for details.

RJD wanted Pashupati Paras to merge his party, but talks fail

Sources say the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) had asked Pashupati Paras to merge his party, arguing that the RLJP’s symbol, the sewing machine, is not widely recognised and could hurt the grand alliance in the Bihar elections.

Disagreements over seat-sharing also surfaced. Paras initially demanded 12 seats, later reducing it to eight, while RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav was willing to offer only two to three seats. The RLJP remained firm on maintaining its identity and showing electoral strength.

Unable to reach an agreement, Paras announced that his party will contest independently. On five assembly seats where RLJP is fielding candidates, there will now be a direct contest with Chirag Paswan’s party.

Surajbhan leaves Pashupati Paras's side, joins RJD

In a significant political development ahead of the Bihar elections, Tejashwi Yadav is expanding his influence under his A-to-Z formula by bringing key Bhumihar leaders into the RJD fold. This week, Bogo Singh from Begusarai and JDU MLA Dr Sanjeev Kumar from Khagaria joined the party. Following this, Surajbhan Singh, the strongest face of Pashupati Paras's Rashtriya LJP, also shifted allegiance to RJD.

Surajbhan’s wife will now contest against Anant Singh in Mokama as the grand alliance candidate. After this departure, Pashupati Paras decided his party will contest independently and announced his candidates for the upcoming elections.

Direct contests in five key seats

Sahebpur Kamal – National LJP’s Sanjay Kumar Yadav faces LJP (Ram Vilas) candidate Surendra Kumar. RJD has fielded sitting MLA Satanand Sambuddh, who defeated JDU’s Rakesh Kumar by 14,225 votes in 2020. The constituency has around 10% SC and 16% Muslim voters.
Bakhri (SC) – Reserved for Scheduled Castes, this seat sees National LJP’s Neera Devi, Chirag Paswan’s candidate Sanjay Kumar, and Mahagathbandhan’s CPI candidate Suryakant Paswan in the fray. Bakhri has significant Bhumihar, Muslim, and Ravidas populations. In 2020, Suryakant won by 777 votes against BJP’s Ramashankar Paswan.
Chenari (SC) – A key seat where Chirag Paswan’s candidate is former minister Murari Prasad Gautam, while Pashupati Paras fields Sonu Kumar Nat. Murari had won in 2020 on a Congress ticket but later joined the ruling party. Chenari is part of Sasaram Lok Sabha constituency.
Garkha (SC) – National LJP’s Vigan Manjhi contests against LJP (R)’s Seemant Mrinal. In 2020, RJD’s Surendra Ram defeated BJP’s Gyanchand Manjhi by 9,937 votes. The seat falls under Saran Lok Sabha constituency.
Mahua – One of the most high-profile seats. Tej Pratap Yadav, expelled from RJD, is contesting on his party ticket, while RJD fields incumbent MLA Mukesh Roshan. Pashupati Paras’s faction has fielded Shamsuzzama, and Chirag Paswan’s faction has fielded Sanjay Kumar Singh. Votes from Yadav, Muslim, and Dalit communities are decisive. In 2020, Roshan defeated JDU’s Asma Parveen by 13,687 votes.

Next generation in politics

Pashupati Paras and his nephew Prince Raj will not contest themselves but will act as star campaigners. Paras has fielded his son, Yashraj Paswan, from Alauli seat in Khagaria, marking the next generation’s entry into politics. Here, RJD’s current MLA Ramvriksh Sada and JDU’s former MLA Ramchandra Sada are the main contenders.

LJP split after Ram Vilas Paswan’s death

After former Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan passed away in October 2020, leadership clashes between Chirag Paswan and Pashupati Paras intensified. By June 2021, Pashupati had split the party, taking five of six MPs with him to form Rashtriya LJP. Both factions have since been battling to establish themselves as the real LJP. Surajbhan Singh’s defection to RJD is a major setback for Rashtriya LJP.

Paswan vote bank at stake

The Bihar Assembly elections will also determine whether the Paswan vote bank, which makes up 5.31% of the state population according to the 2023 caste survey, remains with Chirag Paswan or shifts to Pashupati Paras. The community has long been associated with LJP, and the outcome will decide the political future of Bihar’s Paswan voters.