Union Minister and LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan has taken sharp aim at the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) over its leadership selections for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, alleging that the bloc has sidelined Muslim representation while exploiting the community for electoral gains.
‘Muslims Treated As Vote Bank’: Chirag Paswan
The criticism follows the alliance’s formal announcement of Tejashwi Yadav as its Chief Ministerial candidate and Mukesh Sahani as one of the Deputy Chief Ministerial nominees for the 2025 polls. The absence of a Muslim leader in the top positions has sparked dissent, with AIMIM leaders expressing disappointment on social media on October 23.
Speaking to reporters in Patna on Thursday, Paswan invoked his late father Ram Vilas Paswan’s 2005 suggestion to the RJD to appoint a Muslim Chief Minister. “This is the same RJD to whom my father in 2005 said that they should make a muslim the Chief Minister,” he questioned. Accusing the RJD of double standards, he said, “For them, Muslims are just a vote bank. They talk about inclusion but practice exclusion.”
#WATCH | Patna, Bihar | #BiharElection2025 | On Mahagathbandhan, Union Minister Chirag Paswan says, “…This is the same RJD to whom my father in 2005 said that they should make a muslim the Chief Minister. Why didn’t they make a muslim the CM?… They say something else and do… pic.twitter.com/k95F8kbICH
— ANI (@ANI) October 24, 2025
Paswan contrasted this with his own party’s stance, asserting that government welfare schemes are designed to benefit all citizens, irrespective of caste or religion. “Our policies are inclusive. We don’t divide people for votes,” he added.
Reiterating his critique of the opposition, the Union Minister said the Grand Alliance suffers from a “gap between words and actions.”
The debate over representation has intensified as the Mahagathbandhan hinted at naming more Deputy Chief Ministers if it comes to power, leaving room for speculation about possible inclusion of a Muslim face. However, the current leadership list has already fueled discussions about the alliance’s commitment to diversity.