Chirag Paswan Vows To Contest All 243 Bihar Seats, Slams Conspiracy To Thwart His Political Rise

Last Updated:July 07, 2025, 07:58 IST

Paswan also expressed displeasure over his estranged uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras seemingly exploring options within the opposition INDIA bloc.

Chirag Paswan contest all seats (PTI Image)

Union minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan on Sunday declared his intent to contest the upcoming Bihar assembly elections on all 243 seats, claiming there was a “conspiracy" to block his political ascent in the state.

Speaking at a rally in Bihar’s Saran district, Paswan, whose party is a junior partner in the NDA alliance, said, “I want to take Bihar to new heights. I visualise a future in which our boys and girls will not need to go outside in search of greener pastures; rather, people from other states will come here in search of better education and employment opportunities."

Paswan claimed that his vision had unsettled many political figures. “These people are content with having secured their own future, and they worry about my vision of ‘Bihar First, Bihari First’ catching the public imagination. So they are involved in a conspiracy to hinder my involvement in state politics. They are trying to create confusion in the minds of the people by asking whether Chirag Paswan will contest the assembly polls himself," he said.

Clearing the air, he declared from the stage, “I want to put an end to such designs by proclaiming, from this glorious land of Saran, yes, I will contest the assembly polls. I will contest in all 243 seats. Every segment will see Chirag Paswan fighting with full intensity."

The 42-year-old, who has consistently denied harbouring chief ministerial ambitions, also voiced concern over recent law and order issues, especially the murder of industrialist Gopal Khemka, which he said cast doubts over the functioning of the Nitish Kumar-led government.

“The upcoming elections are crucial. After winning these, we shall strive to create an atmosphere in which people can step out of their homes at any time without fear and security concerns," he said.

Paswan also expressed displeasure over his estranged uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras seemingly exploring options within the opposition INDIA bloc. Without directly naming him, he recalled, “I was expelled from my party and made to vacate my own house."

In 2021, Paras split the original Lok Janshakti Party, isolating Chirag and securing a berth in the Union cabinet. Chirag had to vacate the iconic 12, Janpath bungalow—his late father Ram Vilas Paswan’s long-standing residence and the party’s base—before being politically rehabilitated ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP’s eventual decision to back Chirag led to Paras resigning from the Union cabinet and exiting the NDA in April 2024.

Taking aim at RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Paswan mocked the opposition’s outreach initiatives. “Those who had snatched away people’s land with the promise of jobs are now distributing pens," he said, referencing the ‘Chhatra Yuva Sansad’ campaign and alluding to the railway recruitment scam involving RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav.

Paswan also backed the demand for a domicile policy to protect the interests of Bihari youth. “I am fully in support of Bihari youth’s demand for a domicile policy. The rights of our young men and women must be protected. But it must be pointed out that the domicile policy, brought in 2006, was scrapped in 2023, when the RJD was sharing power, its de facto leader was the Deputy CM, and another senior leader was the education minister," he stated.

He further cautioned against the opposition alliance, criticising the inheritance tax proposal in the Congress manifesto—Congress being an RJD ally—and urged the public to remain alert.

News politics Chirag Paswan Vows To Contest All 243 Bihar Seats, Slams Conspiracy To Thwart His Political Rise