Why BJP Went All Out To Keep Chirag Paswan On Board In Bihar

The BJP, no longer playing Nitish Kumar's sidekick in Bihar, has taken the lead in the NDA fight in the state.

When it comes to Chirag Paswan versus his uncle Pashupati Paras in Bihar, the BJP has finally picked a side, weeks before the national election. Even if it means upsetting Nitish Kumar, who has returned to the NDA after his latest alliance switch.

The BJP has conceded Chirag Paswan's demand for five seats, including the critical Hajipur seat that elected his father Ram Vilas Paswan seven times and where his estranged uncle Pashupati Paras won in the last Lok Sabha polls in 2019.

The BJP, no longer playing Nitish Kumar's sidekick in Bihar, has taken the lead in the NDA fight in the state. It will contest 17 of Bihar's 40 seats, Nitish Kumar's party will fight 16 seats, Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) will contest five, and Upendra Kushwaha and Jitan Ram Manjhi will contest one seat each.