Pashupati Paras-Led RLJP Quits NDA Ahead Of Bihar Assembly Polls, Hints At Siding With Mahagathbandhan

The Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) on Monday announced its exit from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in a significant political shift ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections. RLJP chief Pashupati Kumar Paras said the decision stemmed from what he termed as continued neglect and disrespect towards the RLJP, particularly because of its Dalit roots.

Addressing a press conference in Patna, Paras alleged that despite being a loyal NDA ally since 2014, his party was sidelined during the recent Lok Sabha elections. He claimed that leaders of the BJP and JD(U) repeatedly projected themselves as the “five Pandavas” of Bihar politics but deliberately omitted any reference to the RLJP during NDA meetings over the past several months.

#WATCH | Patna, Bihar: On his decision to quit NDA, Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) chief Pashupati Kumar Paras says, "I was with the NDA since 2014 till date. We were loyal allies of the NDA. You must have seen that when Lok Sabha elections were held, people of NDA did… pic.twitter.com/UBW8mlBGxy

— ANI (@ANI) April 14, 2025

With the Bihar Assembly elections likely to take place between October and November, the RLJP has launched a membership drive and announced plans to contest all 243 seats independently. However, Paras hinted at a potential alignment with the opposition Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) if offered “proper respect and position” at the right time.

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"We were compelled...We are going amid the people and have started a membership drive. We are preparing for all 243 seats...If Mahagathbandhan gives us proper respect at the right time, we will definitely think of politics in future," Pashupati Kumar Paras said as quoted by news agency ANI.

The RLJP’s formation followed a split in the Lok Janshakti Party originally founded by Paras’s late brother Ram Vilas Paswan. While Paras led one faction, the NDA chose to side with his estranged nephew, Chirag Paswan, during the parliamentary polls. This decision reportedly deepened RLJP’s discontent with the NDA.

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The upcoming Bihar elections are expected to be a high-stakes contest between the NDA, comprising BJP and JD(U), and the Mahagathbandhan, which includes Congress, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Left parties. With RLJP’s exit and possible alliance shifts, the political landscape in Bihar may witness considerable changes in the run-up to the polls. 

(With agency inputs)