NEW DELHI: As Bihar heads toward a high-stakes assembly election, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan is carving out a distinct voice within the NDA fold, drawing attention for remarks and positions that diverge from those of alliance partner and chief minister Nitish Kumar.In recent weeks, Chirag has sharpened his criticism of the state’s law and order situation and extended support for a domicile policy, an issue championed by the opposition RJD, signaling a bid to strengthen his party’s independent appeal even as he reiterates loyalty to the NDA.‘Law and order in Bihar completely collapsed’On Monday, Chirag launched a fresh salvo at Nitish by claiming that the law and order in Bihar had completely collapsed. Chirag said that the morale of criminals is at its peak in the state following two people being shot dead in Nalanda.“In Biharsharif, Nalanda, criminals brutally murdered 16-year-old Himanshu Paswan and 20-year-old Anu Kumar by shooting them. This incident is extremely unfortunate and condemnable. This heinous event not only shakes humanity but also shows that law and order in Bihar have completely collapsed,” Chirag said.“Crime in the state is at its peak, and the fact that such an incident was carried out by criminals in the home district of the Honourable Chief Minister clearly indicates that the morale of criminals is at its highest. I have spoken with the local administration over the phone and have directed them to identify the criminals and take strict action,” he added.Two children were killed during a violent clash between two groups in Dumrawan village in Nalanda district of Bihar on Sunday, police said, adding that several arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing.Support for domicile policyChirag also supported the demand of implementing a domicile policy for government jobs in Bihar, becoming the only NDA leader to do so.“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,” Chirag said.The Nitish government, however, ruled out the possibility of the introduction of a domicile policy, stating that any such move would be against the Constitution.This comes after RJD promised implementation of “100 per cent domicile” if the Mahagathbandhan came to power in the state after the elections.‘Will contest in all 243 seats’Earlier, the Union minister declared that his party would field candidates on all 243 seats in the upcoming assembly elections.In the ‘Nav Sankalp Mahasabha’ organised at Rajendra Stadium in Chhapra, the Union Minister said that he will contest elections on all 243 seats of Bihar. He said that he would contest elections on all seats as ‘Chirag’.“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,” Chirag said.“These people are content with having secured their own future, and they worry about my vision of ‘Bihar First, Bihari First’ catching 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 added.This prompted ally Bharatiya Janata Party to clarify that what Chirag meant was that LJP would contest all 243 seats “as an NDA constituent.”“Chirag Paswan is a strong ally of the BJP. He is a minister in the central government, we had fought the elections together, hence won 30 (out of 40 Lok Sabha) seats. This time as well, as an ally of NDA, they will be fighting on 243 seats; seat-sharing is another thing, we will fight together, and win 200 seats,” BJP’s Shahnawaz Hussain said.Meanwhile, Congress claimed that Chirag’s proclamation is “not a good sign” for the ruling alliance and that the “weather scientists” will leave NDA soon.In the 2020 assembly elections, Chirag Paswan’s LJP fielded candidates in 137 seats but won only one. However, by splitting the anti-BJP vote, particularly in JD(U) strongholds, the LJP is widely seen to have contributed to the JD(U)’s poor performance.The BJP ended up winning 74 seats, overtaking JD(U)’s 43, and emerged as the senior partner in Bihar for the first time. The assembly election is scheduled for the end of the year, where a high-stakes battle is expected.The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) – consisting of the Janata Dal (United) led by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and the Bharatiya Janata Party – will face off against the Mahagathbandhan, which includes the Congress, RJD, and Left parties.
