Bihar Polls: Chirag Paswan LJP’s CM Face; NDA Debates Seat Sharing

Bihar Elections 2020. Chirag Paswan and Nitish Kumar. 

(Photo: PTI/Altered by The Quint)

Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) President Chirag Paswan has served an ultimatum to its key ally BJP, just a few weeks before the Bihar elections. Meanwhile, LJP national general secretary Shahnawaz Ahmad Kaifi told the media that Chirag Paswan is the CM candidate of the party, according the news agency ANI.

According to NDTV reports, Ram Vilas Paswan, who is a minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, met BJP President JP Nadda on Monday, 28 September, and has demanded a decision on seat sharing.

Chirag Paswan has told the BJP president that LJP is looking to contest from 143 seats out of 243 seats in the upcoming Bihar elections, NDTV reported.

It’s also being speculated that junior Paswan won’t hesitate to stand against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal United (JDU).

According to reports by NDTV, Chirag Paswan had made it clear to the BJP that the JDU has no alliance with LJP, which means that LJP may field its candidates against JDU.

The political slugfest has intensified the NDA vs NDA scenario in the Bihar elections after seat-sharing discussions have failed to reach any conclusion.

Earlier in 2020, Chirag Paswan said that he would support the BJP “whether the leadership in Bihar goes with Nitish Kumar or changes its mind.” Chirag Paswan has been open in attacks on Nitish Kumar.

Bihar will vote for a new government on 28 October, 3 and 7 November and the results will be announced on 10 November.

(With inputs from NDTV)