Chirag Paswan signals LJP(RV) ready to join NDA govt in Bihar, backs Nitish as CM

PAtna: Lok Janshakti company ( pound Vilas) leader and unification government minister Chirag Paswan on sabbatum said his party was eager to “actively participate” in the new government and expressed his personal belief that Nitish Kumar would return as chief minister.The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) swept the Bihar assembly elections with a commanding tally of 202 out of 243 seats, while the LJP(RV), which contested 28 seats as part of the alliance, won 19 constituencies — a significant breakthrough for a party that had no representation in the outgoing assembly.Responding to questions on the chief ministerial face, Paswan reiterated that the NDA would follow constitutional procedure and the decision of its elected legislators.“On the question of the CM face, my party’s position is— as the Union home minister has also said— that the MLAs will elect their leader as the CM. Now we have a leader of our legislators’ parliamentary board. They will sit together and decide… As far as I believe, CM Nitish Kumar will once again become the chief minister,” Paswan said at his party office.He declined to comment on whether the LJP(RV) would stake claim to the post of deputy chief minister, saying such decisions would be taken collectively at a meeting of NDA partners.Paswan accused opposition parties of fabricating a “false narrative” about tensions between him and Nitish Kumar, who he was once seen as confronting politically. “The opposition created a false narrative that I was not on good terms with Nitish Kumar,” he said.Also Read: NDA to begin government formation in 2–3 days after sweeping Bihar poll victoryPresenting all newly elected LJP(RV) MLAs before the media, the Hajipur MP said party representatives had already met the JD(U) chief minister to congratulate him on the victory and discuss future coordination.“Yes, we too are looking forward to joining the government. Earlier, we used to say that we supported the government but were not part of it — only because we had no representation in the state legislature,” Paswan said.Reflecting on the 2020 assembly elections — when the LJP had contested outside the NDA — Paswan said his decision not to fight as a coalition partner “benefitted the RJD”, allowing it to emerge as the single largest party.“But the RJD grew arrogant thinking people had reposed faith in them. The people of Bihar had rejected the RJD and its jungle raj way back in 2010. It did better in 2015 only because Nitish Kumar had joined them. And in 2020 they gained because we were not part of the NDA,” he said.Paswan expressed gratitude to the NDA leadership for assigning his party 29 seats, despite LJP(RV) having no sitting MLA in the outgoing assembly. “Of the 19 seats we won, the NDA did not have sitting MLAs on 16. Of them, on two seats the NDA had not won for the last 15 years, nine seats the NDA did not win in the last 10 years and four seats where the NDA had lost the last assembly elections (in 2020),” he said.“During the elections, Prime Minister Modi himself stepped forward to lead the campaign… Our unity has been our greatest strength,” he said., adding, “The Mahagathbandhan and RJD have been wiped out in Bihar. The people of Bihar have completely eradicated the mindset that spreads casteism and communalism.”“Our government will rise above caste, creed and religion and work for the inclusive growth and development of the state,” he added.Earlier in the day, Paswan chaired a meeting of the newly elected MLAs, who unanimously chose state party president Raju Tiwari as the leader of LJP(RV)’s legislators’ parliamentary board. Tiwari won the Govindganj seat in East Champaran, defeating Congress candidate Shashi Bhushan Rai alias Gappu Rai by 32,683 votes.