Chirag Paswan-Prashant Kishor alliance in the making? LJP hints ‘doors are open’

A possible alliance between Chirag Paswan and Prashant Kishor ahead of Bihar assembly elections next month cannot be ruled out as “doors are always open in politics", a Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) sources were quoted as saying by NDTV.

Poll strategist Prashant Kishor is all set to make his electoral debut with his Suraaj Party (JSP) emerging as a game-changer in poll-bound Bihar.

Speculation over a potential tie-up between Paswan and Kishor marks the latest twist in Bihar’s political scene, even as seat-sharing talks between the LJP and the ruling BJP continue.

Paswan is said to be demanding 40 out of Bihar’s 243 Assembly seats, buoyed by the party’s perfect record in last year’s national election, where it won all five seats it contested. The BJP, however, is reportedly willing to offer only 25.

As the rumble over the seat-sharing continues, a probable partnership with Prashant Kishor could give the LJP a larger share of seats, yes, but joining hands with a debutant like him may not advance Paswan’s chief ministerial aspirations.

The majority mark in the Bihar Assembly is 122 and for a potential LJP-Jan Suraaj alliance to wrest that many from the Bharatiya Janata Party, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal United, and, from the opposition camp, the Rashtriya Janata Dal led by Tejashwi Yadav, which was the single-largest party in the 2020 election, is a tall order, according to NDTV.

However, rumours of a probable tie-up could put added pressure on the BJP while making seat allotment decision.

The LJP is reportedly adamant about getting 'respectable' seats, as per the sources. Chirag Paswan had told NDTV last month "... I want quality seats".

Meanwhile, on the seat-share talks, BJP sources said the decision to delay talks till after poll dates are announced is a strategic move, to stop last-minute defections by leaders who don't get tickets.

In addition to seat-sharing, Chirag Paswan has left his chief-ministerial ambition as no secret. On Tuesday morning, LJP shared an 'abki baar, yuva Bihari' poster on X. The message seems to be loud and clear.