NDA victory in Bihar because of Modi: Chirag Paswan

Expressing satisfaction on LJP’s performance in Bihar, Paswan said the circumstances in which his party contested the elections were very difficult. “The day my father died, I got the list of BJP’s candidates. Deciding on which seats we will field our candidates was difficult for me at that time. Because of the rituals after my father’s death I could not step out of my house for campaigning for 10 days. But still, my party performed well,” Paswan told reporters.

“Happy that Bihar gave love to LJP, around 25 Lakh voters trusted ‘Bihar First, Bihari First’ and we secured 6% votes while contesting alone. We were called a ‘pichhlaggu party’ that can do something only with other’s support of others. We showed courage,” Paswan said.

“We were close to victory in a few seats. But I can say our party performed well. The Bihar mandate has given us an indication that we are close to our 2025 target,” he added.

Days before elections, Paswan had taken a big gamble, breaking away from the NDA in the state, and deciding to go solo.Its other big gamble, which made its entire strategy as well as the BJP’s suspect, was concentrating its attacks on the JD(U). Except for five seats where the BJP was contesting, the LJP fielded candidates against the JD(U). On some of its seats, it accommodated BJP leaders who had failed to get tickets.

The only seat won by the LJP eventually was Matihani, where Raj Kumar Singh defeated sitting JD(U) MLA Narendra Kumar Singh alias Bogo Singh by a razor-thin margin of 333 votes.

On being asked to react to Kumar becoming chief minister once again, Paswan said “since I am not in the position of power to comment on that now.”