"I Love PM Modi Too Much": Chirag Paswan Reaffirms Unwavering Loyalty to NDA Alliance in Bihar Elections

Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan on Monday expressed his steadfast loyalty to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, declaring "I love him a bit too much" and emphasizing their "inseparable" relationship.

During an interview with ANI, Paswan firmly rejected any speculation about post-election alliance changes following the Bihar elections, asserting he's "not going anywhere" and will remain committed to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

When questioned about potential outreach from Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi to join the opposition, similar to how his father Ram Vilas Paswan was approached by Sonia Gandhi in 2002, Paswan acknowledged maintaining communication with Priyanka Gandhi but reaffirmed his position: "I do speak with Priyanka ji, and I want to emphasize again that as long as my Prime Minister is there, I am absolutely not going anywhere. My dedication and my love remain. I love him a bit too much."

Paswan reminisced about his father's renowned political intuition, noting how Ram Vilas Paswan was often called a "mausam vaigyanik" (weatherman) for his uncanny ability to predict political trends, with alliances he joined typically forming governments.

Speaking about his party's history, Chirag Paswan explained that the LJP was established in 2000 and initially aligned with the NDA before separating in 2002 to later join the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) ahead of the 2004 elections, where Sonia Gandhi warmly welcomed them.

"I am the son of Ram Vilas Paswan ji. Whoever has seen his politics knows that the same values are within me because I am a part of him. My leader and my party have never entered into a post-poll alliance, no matter how many people called him a 'weatherman.' Whichever alliance he chose to go with always came to power. For example, in 2000, my party was formed. Around 2002, my father parted ways with the NDA, and in 2004, when Sonia ji walked on foot during her campaign, my father joined the UPA," Chirag Paswan said.

He characterized Ram Vilas Paswan's move to the UPA as a "good omen," noting that despite widespread skepticism about UPA's electoral prospects at the time, his father's alignment with them preceded their successful government formation.

"At that time, no one believed that the UPA would form the government—the slogan 'India Shining, India Shining' was everywhere. The elections were even preponed by six months and held in the summer. But that was a good omen—he went there, and the UPA formed the government," he added.

Paswan expressed confidence in the NDA establishing a strong government in Bihar, attributing this to public trust in the "double-engine" governance model. As a significant BJP ally, his party remains an integral part of the NDA coalition in Bihar.

Previously, Chirag had described himself as PM Modi's "Hanuman," symbolizing his unwavering loyalty to the Prime Minister. He has also endorsed Nitish Kumar as the NDA's chief ministerial candidate for Bihar while emphasizing his party's development-focused "Bihar First, Bihari First" agenda.

The LJP (RV) chief further underscored his party's history of commitment to pre-election alliances: "Exactly ten years later, even if it was because of my insistence, my father decided that we would go with the NDA, and the NDA formed the government. But we have never made a post-poll alliance. We have always fought elections with our chosen alliance and stayed with them. The conclusion is: I am not going anywhere. No matter how many MLAs we have, whether the government is formed or not, I am right here."

Founded in 2000, the Lok Janshakti Party initially aligned with the National Democratic Alliance, which was in power centrally at that time. However, following the Godhra riots, the party separated from the NDA in 2002 and joined the UPA in 2004, where Ram Vilas Paswan held significant ministerial positions.

In 2014, LJP rejoined the NDA, with Paswan again securing key ministerial portfolios under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

Following Ram Vilas Paswan's death in 2020, leadership tensions emerged between Chirag Paswan and Pashupati Kumar Paras. Subsequently, five of the six LJP Lok Sabha MPs sided with Paras, selecting him as their leader that same year.

The party formally split into two factions in June 2021: the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) led by Chirag Paswan and the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party headed by Pashupati Kumar Paras. While Paras remained with the National Democratic Alliance during the 2020 Bihar elections, Chirag Paswan contested independently, temporarily separating from the NDA.

Chirag Paswan later rejoined the National Democratic Alliance before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where his party achieved remarkable success, winning all five contested seats in Bihar. Conversely, Paras did not participate in those elections.

In the upcoming second phase of the 2025 assembly polls, the NDA faces significant challenges in maintaining its dominance, particularly in its northern Bihar strongholds including East Champaran, West Champaran, Sheohar, and Sitamarhi districts, where the ruling alliance currently controls 30 assembly seats.

This phase will determine the fate of 12 ministers from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's cabinet, including JD(U) leaders Vijendra Yadav (contesting from Supaul assembly constituency), Lesi Singh (Dhamdaha), Jayant Kushwaha (Amarpur), Sumit Singh (Chakai), Mohammad Jama Khan (Chainpur), and Sheela Mandal (Phoolparas).

Key BJP ministers in the electoral contest include Prem Kumar (Gaya Town), Renu Devi (Bettiah), Vijay Kumar Mandal (Sikati), Nitish Mishra (Jhanjharpur), Neeraj Bablu (Chhatapur), and Krishnanandan Paswan (Harsiddhi).