Chirag Paswan, the National President of Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), has become a youth icon not only in his home state Bihar but also across the country. The achievements he has made in national politics in just a decade are remarkable and unprecedented. As a Member of Parliament (MP), Chirag Paswan holds his late father Ram Vilas Paswan in high regard and follows his footsteps. He has chosen a challenging path to fulfill his father’s unfinished dreams through the mission of ‘Bihar First, Bihari First.’

During a three-day training camp held in Rajgir, Nalanda district, he pledged to light a lamp in every household where the light of progress has not yet reached. This camp was organized from 22nd to 24th September 2023. Chirag Paswan reiterated the slogan of ‘Bihar First-Bihari First’ on this occasion and took an oath, “I promise that until I bring my father’s vision of ‘Bihar First-Bihari First’ to the ground reality, I will not rest.”

Chirag Paswan is an inclusive leader in Bihar, and there is no doubt about his commitment. He rises above caste and religion to address issues of backwardness, humanity, and comprehensive reforms. He possesses remarkable leadership abilities and communicates with ease. He presents his ideas with utmost clarity and tackles problems with facts and reasoning. He emphasizes constitutional matters and fearlessly raises his voice against corruption and wrong government policies. He engages in dialogues and direct communication without hesitation.

In this context, he has raised several questions concerning the state of Bihar. The government’s development claims have been proven false, as there are several instances of new bridges over the Ganges River collapsing despite massive investments. The poor suffer due to uncontrollable crimes, daily murders, and lootings. The ban on alcohol has adversely affected the underprivileged, leading to deaths from poisonous liquor. Development and good governance seem to be mere paper displays while reality remains far from it. Chirag Paswan has raised many such issues and questioned the exodus of Biharis to other states for livelihood, education up to school and college level, professional courses, and coaching centers.

He questions why the priority lies in studying in other states from Delhi to Kota, when Biharis, from both learners to educators, should be the ones leading the education system within Bihar. He questions the delays in course schedules and why Biharis rush to Delhi for medical treatment.

Chirag Paswan made his entry into politics in the year 2012 when he was appointed as the National President of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). However, his significant success came in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections when he contested from the Jamui parliamentary constituency and defeated his closest rival, Sudhanshu Shekhar Bhaskar, by 86,000 votes. He became one of the six elected MPs from the LJP.

During his tenure as a Member of Parliament from Jamui, Chirag Paswan undertook various developmental initiatives, which became an exemplar for others. This led to his re-election as an MP in the 2019 elections, where he defeated his nearest competitor, Bhudeo Chaudhary of the Indian National Congress, and received a total of 528,771 votes.

Chirag Paswan has gained considerable popularity among the people of Bihar, thanks to his increasing appeal, charismatic personality, and the ability to attract young voters. His growing popularity has led veteran politicians like Lalu Prasad Yadav to acknowledge him as a leader of the future. Even Congress MP Shatrughan Sinha praised Chirag in an interview with electronic media.

In June 2021, Chirag Paswan embarked on an “Aashirwad Yatra” in Bihar, where he toured all the districts with his party workers. As the yatra progressed, his popularity and support among the masses continued to grow. His public meetings not only focused on the party’s history but also highlighted its achievements. As a result, people started to place strong faith in him and developed tremendous trust in his leadership.

Chirag Paswan was born on October 31, 1982, and was groomed in a political environment. Apart from imbibing his father, late Ram Vilas Paswan’s political style, he also learned to connect with people in society. Being close to his father, he integrated social responsibilities into his nature and imbibed qualities like cooperative behavior and effective family management from his mother, Reena Paswan.

After completing his education in Computer Science, although he briefly explored the Bollywood industry, he eventually stayed focused on his father’s field of work. Chirag Paswan’s captivating voice and oratory skills made a mark in various arenas of politics, be it parliamentary debates, election campaigns, large public rallies, or live media shows, consistently achieving new heights in his political journey.

Chirag’s Work

• Under Chirag Paswan’s leadership, several crucial initiatives were undertaken, focused on the empowerment of various segments of society and creating employment opportunities. The “Chirag ke Rozgar” program aimed to provide employment to unemployed youth. Through job fairs and various employment opportunities, he facilitated employment for numerous youngsters, enabling them to progress towards prosperity.

• During his tenure as an MP from Jamui, Chirag Paswan undertook significant projects that brought notable development to the district. He invested approximately 14 crores in beautifying the Jhajha and Simultala railway stations, boosting tourism and providing better railway facilities to locals.

• He also initiated the construction of a medical college in Jamui, with an initial cost of around 500 crores. This medical college became a significant government project to promote medical education in Jamui and the Paswan parliamentary constituency.

• Chirag Paswan inaugurated the Food Corporation of India (FCI) office in Jamui, providing significant facilities to local farmers and producers and making the sale of food products more accessible and convenient.

• He constructed a central school in Jamui at a cost of 19 crores, providing students with improved access to higher education.

• Additionally, he inaugurated a 108-bed operation theater at the Mahavir Hospital in Lakhuaar, Jamui, improving medical services and healthcare facilities in the region.

Chirag Paswan’s endeavors for development and progress have gained him significant support and respect among the people of Jamui and other areas. His leadership has accelerated the pace of development in the parliamentary constituency, earning a place in the hearts of the people. Under his chairmanship, the “Bihar First Bihari First” campaign aims to elevate Bihar to new heights of prosperity and development. Through this campaign, he has promoted various developmental projects in different regions of Bihar and motivated the state’s youth to actively participate in its progress.

Chirag Paswan’s achievements and initiatives under his leadership contribute to his growing reputation as a powerful and influential leader in the political arena. His strong support and the mental attitude of trust and respect from the people position him as an effective and impactful leader.

Chirag Factor

Chirag Paswan has become a prominent figure in Bihar politics, and everyone wants to associate with him in their own way. That’s why whenever Chirag Paswan addresses a public gathering, his powerful voice resonates in the political corridors for a long time. It creates a stir, especially among opposition parties, causing ripples even within Nitish Kumar’s party, JD(U), which he pushed to the third position in Bihar.

Chirag Paswan’s influence was evident in the by-elections for two Bihar assembly seats, Gopalganj and Mokama. In the Gopalganj assembly constituency, the support of Chirag Paswan brought an additional 8,000 votes to the BJP, leading to the victory of their candidate, Kusum Devi, by a margin of 2,183 votes. Though Gopalganj is considered a stronghold of BJP, it was LoJP (Lok Janshakti Party, formerly led by Ram Vilas Paswan) that saved BJP from defeat. Chirag Paswan takes credit for this as he managed to sway more than 8,000 Paswan community votes towards the BJP.

In the Gopalganj constituency, BJP was facing a tough fight, which Chirag Paswan made easier. The seat was previously held by Subhash Singh, who won in the last four elections. After his demise, his wife won the election with 2,183 votes, while Subhash Singh had won by a much larger margin of 36,546 votes in 2020

If Chirag Paswan had not campaigned extensively in Gopalganj during the final moments, winning the seat for BJP would have been difficult. After the defeat of the RJD candidate Mohan Prasad Gupta in Gopalganj, his supporters admitted that Chirag’s campaign caused a significant drop in their votes.

For both the by-elections, Chirag campaigned for the BJP for the first time after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In the following year, after his father’s demise, Chirag took the leadership of the party founded by him and fielded 136 candidates, securing 2.5 million votes and achieving a record 6% vote share alone. This had an impact on JD(U), and in the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, he performed poorly. Chirag had voiced opposition to Nitish Kumar’s policies and presented the vision of “Bihar First, Bihari First.”