Union Minister and LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan dismissed speculation of any discord within the NDA ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, saying seat-sharing talks were held in a cordial and transparent manner. Speaking exclusively to ABP News, Paswan said he holds Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and JD(U) in high regard and looks forward to working under his leadership. “I have the opportunity to learn from Nitish Kumar. We will make him CM again,” he said.
Responding to reports that Jitan Ram Manjhi and Nitish Kumar were unhappy with him, Paswan clarified that every decision in the alliance was taken collectively. “I told the number of seats I wanted and was asked the priority of seats I preferred. I did hear that Manjhi ji’s two seats were given to me. If someone had asked for them back, I would have discussed it. I don’t want to upset my allies,” he said.
Paswan reiterated that the NDA’s focus was on teamwork, not trade-offs. “While arguments do happen during negotiations, that does not mean we would collapse the alliance for a single seat,” Paswan said. “We cannot sabotage the NDA over one seat. I am confident that we will win all 29 seats. The LJP has often been underestimated, but time and again we have delivered beyond expectations.”
Defending his assertive stance during the seat-sharing talks, Paswan said, “It is understandable if Nitish ji is upset, but I received 29 seats after his agreement.I don’t want to upset my allies, and I remain committed to maintaining harmony within the NDA.”
Paswan also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the NDA leadership for their continued faith in him. “Even with zero MLAs, I got 29 seats. The Prime Minister is aware of my hard work, and I’m thankful for his trust,” he said.