Bihar Elections: Who will become king of Bihar…Will Chirag Paswan emerge as kingmaker? Pappu Yadav plans to…

People of Bihar wait with bated breath for Friday’s counting of votes polled in the recent assembly elections, which will determine whether JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar, the state’s longest serving chief minister, will receive a record fifth term, or if there will be a change in government.

Bihar has recorded a historic voter turnout of 67.13 per cent. Elections for the 243-member assembly took place in two phases on November 6 and 11. Counting will begin at 8 am, and trends and results are likely to start coming in by 9 am. The Election Commission has set up a total of 46 counting centres across 38 districts in the state. A total of 7.45 crore voters were eligible to decide the electoral fate of 2,616 candidates.

Who is going to be the next government in Bihar? Will Nitish Kumar get sworn in as Chief Minister for the 10th time, or will Tejashwi Yadav—the son of Lalu Yadav and Rabri Devi—bring an end to the so-called “Jungle Raj” from his family legacy?

To determine “who will be the king of Bihar,” Hajipur’s MP Chirag Paswan stated that the Chief Minister’s position is not even in “vacancy.” The NDA leaders are already declaring victory on India(BHARAT).com, and RJD and Congress leaders claimed a major upset could happen in the state.

Even JDU Anand Mohan declared himself a “kingmaker” in this election cycle but thinks that, while the NDA looks unchallenged “on the outside,” the battle will be fought on the ground.

Former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha, who had defected from the NDA in 2020 to get into the Bihar CM position, is once again back and in a strong NDA position, even claiming he would be a “kingmaker.” Exit polls also suggested strong chances for him and Chirag Paswan’s party.

In Congress, Alka Lamba, leader of the Mahila Congress, said there would be a significant shift in the Bihar elections. She also said in an interview with India(BHARAT).com that in 2025, the India(BHARAT) Alliance government is likely to come to power in Bihar.

While speaking to India(BHARAT).com, Chirag Paswan stated that in politics, everything eventually circles back to a single position. I am someone who believes in ideas, and you can implement those ideas on the ground even while being in an alliance or within a party. I have always been part of the ‘Bihar First, Bihari First’ government agenda. We implemented this approach on the ground.

“But as soon as I speak about these things, attempts are made to portray a conflict between me and the current Chief Minister, as if I am thinking of replacing him. That is not at all my intention. And if you look at the current situation, there is no vacancy in Bihar for any other position. Whenever the discussion is about the Chief Minister, I want to work in Bihar without any desire for a position.

When asked about how many seats Chirag Paswan is aiming for, he stated, “I will not break the alliance’s(Gathbandhan) protocol. If I discuss seat-sharing in an alliance, I will not do it on any public platform outside the alliance forum. Once there’s a discussion there, it will definitely be shared.

When asked about the BJP once attempting to split his party, yet he remained aligned with them, he stated,” This fight was never about Chirag Paswan. Even today, people ask me why I am fighting alongside those who insulted me. This fight is neither about Chirag Paswan, nor my family, nor my horse and carriage—it is for Bihar and the people of Bihar.

And I believe that the strength to take Bihar toward development lies within our alliance. My Prime Minister has set the goal to make India(BHARAT) a developed country by 2047. For that, every state of the country must develop, especially a state like Bihar, which still holds immense potential for accelerating growth. With this vision, I am working within this alliance to move forward.

Hitting PM Modi, Purnea MP Pappu Yadav said,” He is the first PM who spends 24 hours in politics but doesn’t serve or follow the principles of humanity. Even as Atal Ji said, he doesn’t uphold the Constitution or democratic values properly. Making history is good, but erasing history is wrong.”

Exit polls have been nearly unanimous in predicting a clean sweep for the NDA, of which the JD(U) is a part, much to the annoyance of the opposition INDIA bloc. Tejashwi Yadav, the young RJD leader whom the opposition coalition has named its chief ministerial candidate, rubbished these predictions and claimed Mahagathbandhan would form the government with a thumping majority.

While speaking to India(BHARAT).com, Anand Mohan stated that can anybody stop these murders, heck, could anybody have stopped the assassination of Indira Gandhi or Rajiv Gandhi? No. The question is, following a murder what happens? What is the government doing? And why does it have to happen now with elections in progress? “Over the last three months, sudden crimes have increased. Politics is behind it—some want instability; some want to show law and order,” he stated.

The NDA in Bihar comprises five parties, though a bulk of seats, in the 243-strong assembly, were contested by JD(U) and BJP, both of which fielded candidates in 101 constituencies each. The INDIA bloc includes RJD, Congress, CPI(ML) Liberation, other Left parties, and Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP).

Prominent candidates of both alliances who are in the fray include Deputy Chief Ministers Samart Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, JJD’s Tej Pratap and Bihar Congress president Rajesh Kumar.