Chirag Paswan says party may contest Uttar Pradesh and Punjab alone

Lok Janshakti Party (Ramvilas) president Chirag Paswan has said his party will contest the forthcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab with or without the Bharatiya Janata Party. In an interview with The Hindu, Paswan said his party was allied with the BJP at the Centre and in Bihar and would prefer that relationship to extend to both election-bound States. He said the LJP(RV) had worked to build its organisation in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab and was not prepared to withdraw from the contest.

If the National Democratic Alliance could not agree on seat sharing, he said, the party was willing to contest alone. In that event, Paswan said the party would contest all 117 seats in Punjab and all 403 seats in Uttar Pradesh. The elections are scheduled for early next year.

The LJP(RV) is seeking to establish itself as a Dalit party in both States, while Paswan often presents himself as a leader with appeal across caste groups. In Uttar Pradesh, the party is particularly targeting Passi voters in eastern and central regions. Paswan dismissed the prospect of a strong challenge from the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance, saying the opposition had benefited in the 2024 election from what he described as a false claim that the Constitution would be amended.

He predicted that Uttar Pradesh could see an outcome similar to Maharashtra, where the NDA performed poorly in the Lok Sabha election but won the subsequent Assembly polls. He also discussed his “Youth Bole Toh” campaign, which he said gives students a platform to raise concerns about paper leaks and related issues. Paswan said he wanted to take the campaign nationwide but would focus initially on States preparing for elections.

His comments come after he criticised aspects of the Bihar government and questioned the Election Commission’s handling of electoral-roll revision concerns. The supplied material does not indicate whether the BJP has responded to his position on seat sharing.