Chirag Paswan Aims to Expand Dalit Outreach, Asserts Independent Stand Ahead of Bihar Polls

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Patna: With the Bihar Assembly elections looming later this year, Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan is intensifying his efforts to broaden his appeal among Dalit communities beyond his core Paswan base. The move is seen as a calculated strategy to boost his party’s electoral prospects and position himself as a prominent face of the Bahujan-Bheem Samaj in the state.

Dalits form a significant 16.04% of Bihar’s population, while Paswans, Chirag’s own caste group, constitute 5.311%, making them the second-largest community after the Yadavs. Recognizing this electoral potential, the LJP (Ram Vilas) state executive met in Patna on Friday and passed a resolution endorsing Chirag’s role as a pan-Dalit leader. The party also announced plans to host a ‘Bahujan-Bheem Sankalp Samagam’, aimed at strengthening ties with various Dalit communities across the state.

Importantly, the resolution also emphasized that LJP (Ram Vilas) will contest the assembly elections under its own identity, maintaining autonomy within the NDA alliance. This is being interpreted as a strategic move by Chirag to bargain hard for a larger share of seats from the BJP.

“Chirag understands very well that his party’s growth in NDA will be limited if he depends only on Paswan votes and so he will definitely like to reach out to other Dalit castes,” said Pushpendra Kumar Singh, a former professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).

However, challenges loom large. Chirag may face competition from his estranged uncle, Pashupati Kumar Paras, who is speculated to be eyeing an alliance with the I.N.D.I.A bloc, which includes RJD, Congress, and the Left. Such a realignment could divide the Paswan vote bank and impact Chirag’s dominance within the Dalit vote base.

Adding to the competitive landscape is the Congress party’s recent Dalit-centric reshuffle — with Mallikarjun Kharge as national president and Rajesh Kumar as Bihar state president — which signals a renewed focus on Dalit outreach by the grand old party.

Meanwhile, with Mayawati’s BSP losing influence in Bihar, political observers believe a chunk of her support base may drift towards the I.N.D.I.A bloc, further complicating Chirag’s expansion plans.

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