Chirag Paswan, whose party LJP (Ram Vilas) stunned in this election by winning all the five Lok Sabha seats it contested as part of the NDA alliance in Bihar, is set to become a minister in the third Narendra Modi government, sources have said.
Mr Paswan, it is learnt, received a call from BJP chief JP Nadda ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s swearing-in this evening. NDA leaders will shortly gather at the Prime Minister’s residence for tea.
Chirag Paswan, sources said, had been offered ministerial posts in the first and second Narendra Modi governments, too, but the LJP had then decided that his father and party chief Ram Vilas Paswan should take up the post.
Mr Paswan has been elected from Bihar’s Hajipur seat, which his father won a record nine times.
This election has been a key milestone in Chirag Paswan’s political journey that started under the guidance of his stalwart father. Ram Vilas Paswan’s death in 2020 set off a family feud, as both Chirag Paswan and his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras claimed the veteran’s political legacy. The face-off split the party into two factions.
The BJP then sided with Pashupati Paras and Chirag Paswan’s struggle began. He launched the Bihar First, Bihari First campaign to connect with the people of Bihar, but continued to support the NDA. The efforts did not go unnoticed. Ahead of the 2024 general election, the BJP decided that Chirag Paswan is their best bet to secure Paswan votes in a state where caste plays a key factor in polls. The plan worked. And the BJP falling short of majority has strengthened the position of allies like Chirag Paswan, whose support is critical for the survival of the coalition government.
Speaking to NDTV in an exclusive interview, Chirag Paswan has said the “last couple of years were very difficult”. “I lost my father, my party, symbol. We were contesting this election on a new party name, a new symbol. To get people used to a new symbol was a difficult task. But God has been very kind and the people of my state, their belief in me was overwhelming,” he said.
Asked if he hopes to get a ministerial berth in Modi 3.0, the 41-year-old had replied, “That’s the Prime Minister’s prerogative and least of my concerns.”
