As the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) struggles to finalise its seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan has set political circles abuzz with a cryptic social media post on Wednesday.
Remembering his late father and LJP founder Ram Vilas Paswan on his death anniversary, Chirag shared an emotional yet pointed message on X (formerly Twitter): “Papa always used to say, do not commit a crime, do not endure a crime. If you want to live, learn to die, learn to fight at every step.”
The post, though written as a tribute, has been widely interpreted as a veiled message amid his party’s ongoing tussle with the BJP over seat allocation.
When questioned by reporters at the Patna airport earlier in the day, Chirag maintained restraint but hinted that discussions were still underway. “Talks on seat sharing within the NDA are still in progress. The final decision will be announced at the appropriate time,” he said, further fuelling speculation of friction within the alliance.
The NDA is expected to hold a key strategy meeting in Patna later today to iron out differences. Senior leaders from the BJP, JD(U), LJP (Ram Vilas), and other allies will participate in the discussions.
According to reports, both the BJP and JD(U) are pushing to contest 103 seats each in the 243-member Bihar Assembly. Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) has demanded 15–18 seats, though the BJP is only ready to offer 7–8. Chirag Paswan’s party has reportedly sought 40–50 seats, while the BJP’s proposal limits LJP (Ram Vilas) to around 20.
On Tuesday, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is in charge of the BJP’s Bihar election strategy, held detailed discussions with Chirag Paswan to bridge differences. Sources told India TV that Paswan’s party not only wants a higher seat share but is also insisting on contesting in constituencies where it has stronger grassroots presence. The LJP (Ram Vilas) has additionally requested two assembly seats each within the five Lok Sabha constituencies it won in the 2024 general elections.
