Chirag Paswan: Bihar Assembly Elections – Focus on Improving Party’s Strike Rate, Not Becoming CM

On Saturday, Union Minister Chirag Paswan addressed the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, stating his potential participation with the primary goal of improving the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas)’s strike rate. He denied any ambition to become the Chief Minister. The strike rate, in this context, is the percentage of seats won by a party out of the total seats it contests. He believes that a better strike rate for his party would be beneficial for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Speaking with journalists in Hajipur, the Member of Parliament also dismissed any suggestion that he is aiming for the CM’s chair. Paswan expressed his concern over attempts to create misunderstandings within the alliance. He clarified that his party’s parliamentary board will decide whether or not he contests the elections. He noted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) frequently utilizes its national leaders in state elections. The Bihar Assembly elections are set to occur later this year. Chirag Paswan, aged 42, emphasized that if he were to contest, it would be solely to improve his party’s strike rate and thereby assist the NDA. He voiced his displeasure at the efforts to misconstrue his intentions regarding the Chief Minister’s position. During the 2020 Assembly elections, Chirag Paswan, then the former president of the Lok Janshakti Party, caused disruption, resulting in a decrease in seats for the Janata Dal-United (JDU). Currently, Chirag predicts that the NDA, under the leadership of Nitish Kumar, will form its strongest government in Bihar following the elections. The Union Minister announced that the party’s campaign will commence with a rally in Ara, the headquarters of Bhojpur district, on Sunday. There is speculation that Chirag’s party might nominate him from an unreserved constituency. While he has not disclosed his constituency within the Shahabad region, consisting of Bhojpur and its neighboring districts, he confirmed that his party intends to conduct more rallies prior to the elections, each encompassing five to six districts.