Union minister Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), a constituent of the NDA, is weighing the option of contesting the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections independently as it seeks to expand beyond Bihar and establish itself in the country’s most populous state.
The move also sends an underlying message to the BJP. During the youth-centric event aimed at Gen Z, students, and farmers, Chirag officially announced that the LJP (RV) was preparing to contest all 403 seats in the state.
The party held a few political events in UP this year, including the “Youth Bole Toh” programme in Prayagraj (September 27-28) and its state executive committee meeting in Lucknow (July 15). “Going forward, if we get a raw deal in seat-sharing negotiations within the NDA, the party will be ready to go solo and contest all 403 seats in UP,” said a senior party leader. “We have invited the chief minister of UP, all ministers, MPs and MLAs from UP to the event, where we will share the ideals of our founder,” said Rajesh Bhatt, national spokesperson of the LJP (RV).
This year, the party has shifted the event from Bihar to Lucknow, signalling its growing interest in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the assembly polls. “The strategy presents a delicate balancing act for Chirag Paswan. As a Union minister and NDA ally, he has an interest in preserving ties with the BJP.
The party’s plans are expected to gain momentum on October 8, the death anniversary of its founder and Chirag’s father, Ram Vilas Paswan, a prominent Dalit leader and former Union minister. Against this backdrop, Thursday’s event in Lucknow is being positioned as an opportunity to showcase the party’s ambition, strength and appeal in a state where Dalits account for around 21% of the population, according to the 2011 Census.
Invitations have also been extended to political leaders in Bihar, a party legislator said, on condition of anonymity. But expanding the party’s independent electoral base may strengthen its bargaining power in seat-sharing negotiations and reduce its dependence on Bihar,” said political commentator Gyanendra Yadav, professor in the department of sociology, College of Commerce, Arts and Science in Patna.
