Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan met JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar on Saturday, triggering speculation he may be eyeing the deputy chief minister post following his party’s strong performance in Bihar elections.
Chirag Paswan Public Statement
“I met the CM, congratulated him and extended him best wishes… I am delighted that the CM appreciated the role of every alliance partner in the NDA. He supported the LJP(RV) candidate when he went to vote,” Chirag Paswan told media.
बिहार विधानसभा चुनाव परिणाम के पश्चात आज बिहार के माननीय मुख्यमंत्री श्री नीतीश कुमार जी से मुलाकात कर उन्हें NDA के प्रचंड बहुमत की हार्दिक बधाई एवं शुभकामनाएं दी।@NitishKumar pic.twitter.com/EuHJFQNHXm
— युवा बिहारी चिराग पासवान (@iChiragPaswan) November 15, 2025
Images posted by Paswan showed the Union Minister receiving a warm welcome from Nitish Kumar, with the duo smiling for cameras, leaving behind bitter animosity and fraught history.
Electoral Turnaround
The meeting comes after the NDA secured a landslide victory, winning 202 seats while leaving the Mahagathbandhan with significantly fewer. Chirag Paswan’s party won 19 seats, powering the coalition’s march beyond the 200-seat mark.
This marked a stunning turnaround for Paswan, whose party won just one seat in 2020 polls after going solo amid differences with Nitish Kumar.
Historical Context
In 2020, Paswan’s party coined the slogan “PM Modi se bair nahi, Nitish teri khair nahi (Have no enmity with Modi, Nitish will not be spared).” The party fielded candidates mostly in JD(U)-contested seats, harming the party’s tally. Consequently, JD(U) was reduced to just 43 seats, against BJP’s 74.
The 2025 polls were the first time LJP(RV) and JD(U) contested together, working wonders for the NDA.
Leadership Question
Saturday morning, several posters and billboards appeared across Patna, declaring Nitish Kumar “Bihar’s leader.”
The BJP, which emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats, has remained silent. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday called the NDA’s decisive victory “sushasan ki jeet (victory of good governance),” widely seen as endorsing Nitish Kumar’s continuation as chief minister.
Paswan’s Hint
Chirag Paswan had previously stated: “I have always believed that my strike rate has been close to 100 per cent… There should be respect in an alliance. If your partners are performing well, they should be rewarded,” when asked about the deputy chief minister post.
He emphasized earlier that “partners performing well should be rewarded,” hinting his party deserves recognition for sticking with the NDA and delivering results.
The focus has now shifted to who will be chief minister and his deputy or deputies in Bihar’s next government.
