Why Chirag Paswan and his LJP(RV) stand out amid the NDA wave in Bihar | Political Pulse News

Just weeks ago, critics within the NDA accused Chirag of punching above his weight by bagging 29 seats in a seat-sharing deal, and dismissed him as a “social media creature” inflated by legacy and optics. Some insiders whispered that the BJP had bet on him, rewarding him with more than his organizational strength justified. With Friday’s results, Chirag not only justified the allocation but also demonstrated an ability to transform political perception into electoral performance.

On a broader level, the results reinforce Chirag’s position as a serious and indispensable member of the NDA in Bihar. He was no longer the young, untested heir to his father Ram Vilas Paswan’s legacy; It has now emerged as an electoral asset with an independent ability to draw votes. The performance of its candidates across electoral districts – especially in seats where the PJP has historically been weak – indicates the emergence of a new political node in the state’s power matrix.

It is worth noting that the majority of seats that the Rally granted to Chirag were those in which the coalition had performed poorly in the past. The LJP(RV)’s return to the NDA in this election – after contesting the 2020 elections alone – also added a crucial 5-6% vote share to the NDA’s tally, which is evident in the JD(U)’s impressive performance this time around. In the 2020 polls, the JD(U) was reduced to 43 seats, largely because the undivided LJP fielded candidates exclusively against Nitish Kumar’s party. This time, the JD(U) is leading in over 80 seats.

Repositioning
While part of the LJP’s (RV) recent successes – including a 100% strike rate in the Lok Sabha polls where it won all five seats it contested – many attribute to loyal support from the Dosads, Chirag’s ability to read the political wind and move with it has helped him no less. It is a trait his father exhibited in abundance, prompting RJD chief Lalu Prasad to call former Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan a “Mausam Vijayni (meteorologist)”.

However, the results will now provide Chirag with a platform to showcase himself as a youth leader with clear electoral appeal, especially among Dalits and first-time voters.

This election repositions Chirag within the NDA in a way that will have lasting effects. Unlike 2020, when he was seen as destabilizing the alliance, 2025 marks his full integration into the NDA — and, more importantly, his rise as a bankable face in Bihar.

Why does Chirag stand out despite the wave?

It is undeniable that the broader NDA wave has lifted the voices of all voters. HAM(S) shows surprising resilience even in seats it wasn’t expected to win, and RLM is outperforming expectations in its Kushwaha belts. It is a movement-led election, with the NDA’s Joint Social Alliance comprising Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), Mahadalits, non-Yadav Very Backward Classes (OBCs), and a unified upper caste vote.

However, waves create winners of different sizes.

One of Chirag’s biggest advantages was his appeal to younger voters in a state where the youth bulge is a deciding factor politically. His communication style, his social media presence, and his ambitious vocabulary all set him apart from the older class-first political model. But until now, this call has been an intangible asset – a potential that has not yet been translated into tangible results.

Through the seat distribution, Chirag can claim that Bihar’s youth – especially Dalits, Mahadalits and non-Yadav OBC voters – see him not just as a household title, but as a generational voice. These elections have elevated him to a small club of leaders, along with Tejashwi Yadav and, in a limited urban sense, Pushpam Priya, who can realistically claim the support of the youth. But with one key difference: Chirag is on the winning side of Bihar, which gives him a platform that others currently lack.

Implications of the power matrix in the NDA
Each election wave leads to internal rearrangement. In the 2025 NDA, this amendment is already underway.

Nitish Kumar remains a paternal figure and a necessary center of gravity, but his advanced age and the party’s lack of strong second-tier leadership mean the BJP is recalibrating its long-term succession strategy in Bihar. Chirag’s performance gives the BJP something it has desperately wanted: a powerful future ally that can capture a significant chunk of the Dalit and youth vote while remaining firmly aligned with the NDA.

However, given the historically tense relations between the JD(U) and the LJP(RV), Chirag’s stronger presence could create more friction within the alliance.

The results have greatly strengthened Chirag’s bargaining power. He can now wield greater influence in the makeup of the Cabinet, demand (and likely obtain) more prominent portfolios for his party, and even emerge as a contender for the deputy prime minister’s post if the BJP opts for generational balance. He is also gaining negotiating leverage to share Lok Sabha seats in the future. These are ambitions that the BJP and JD(U) will have to manage tactfully.

Among the few leaders who became more powerful after this repositioning, Chirag will stand at the head. As the young face of the NDA entering its next phase – and one of the most important political players in Bihar over the next decade – his next challenge will be to expand his party’s appeal beyond the Dosadesh family and a segment of the EECs.