NEW DELHI: Union minister and LJP(RV) chief Chirag Paswan met Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar in Patna on Tuesday to congratulate him on the NDA’s decisive victory in assembly elections. The meeting stands out because of their political history and years of speculation over whether the two leaders could ever comfortably coexist in the same alliance.Paswan, who called on the CM at 1 Aney Marg, said he had come “to extend congratulations and good wishes” following the NDA crossing the 200-seat mark.
“I met the CM, congratulated him and extended him best wishes. NDA registered a historic victory under the leadership of Nitish Kumar. So, a delegation of LJP(RV) met him and congratulated him. I am delighted that the CM appreciated the role of every alliance partner in the NDA,” Chirag said.“He supported the LJP(RV) candidate when he went to vote. In Alauli, where I vote, I supported JD(U) candidate. This shows that those were misleading regarding JD(U) and LJP(RV) were just setting false narrative…”,” he added.This comes after rift between the two parties surfaced during the seat sharing deal within NDA ahead of Bihar polls.During the run up to the elections, Chirag had also criticised Nitish over deteriorating law and order situation in the state.“I feel ashamed that I am supporting a government where crime has become uncontrolled,” Chirag had said.Interestingly, this was the first time when LJP(RV) and JD(U) were contesting the assembly elections together under the umbrella of NDA.
From fierce rivals in 2020 to coexisting in NDA
In 2020 Bihar assembly elections, claiming himself as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Hanuman”, Chirag decided to go solo and fielded 135 candidates in fray — specifically harming JD(U) poll prospects. LJP(RV)’s candidates acted as vote-cutters, contributing to JD(U)’s sharp decline from 71 seats in 2015 to just 43 in 2020, its lowest tally in years.However, in 2025, LJP(RV) emerged as a key force within the NDA, winning 19 of the 29 seats it contested and helping the alliance cross the 200-seat mark.Paswan said his party chose from a “pool of 38 seats” offered by the BJP, stressing “quality over quantity.” After multiple rounds of discussions with BJP and JD(U) leaders, LJP(RV) secured its position as the largest junior ally. Other smaller allies received six seats each, showing how negotiations tilted in Paswan’s favour.The NDA registered a historic landslide victory in the 2025 Bihar Elections, winning 202 of the 243 seats in the state; meanwhile, the Mahagathbandhan could only secure 35 seats.NDA secured a three-fourths majority in the 243-member House. This is the second time the NDA has crossed the 200 mark in the assembly polls. In the 2010 polls, it had won 206 seats.In the NDA, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 89 seats, Janata Dal (United) won 85, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (LJPRV) won 19, Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) (HAMS) won five, and Rashtriya Lok Morcha won four seats.The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) won 25 seats, Indian National Congress 6, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation) – CPI(ML)(L) – two, Indian Inclusive Party (IIP) – one, and Communist Party of India (Marxist) – CPI(M) – one seat.All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) won five seats, and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) got one seat.The Bihar assembly elections were conducted across two phases on November 6 and 11, respectively. Bihar recorded a historic 67.13% voter turnout, the highest since 1951, with women voters outpacing men (71.6% vs 62.8%).
