Big fish cannot ignore political stature of Manjhi, Chirag Paswan

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The 2024 Lok Sabha election may be a tought fight between the BJP and Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, but the importance of smaller parties cannot be ruled out.

The parties like Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) led by Jitan Ram Manjhi, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) led by Chirag Paswan or Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLSP) led by Pasupati Kumar Paras have their own vote banks of Mahadalit and Dalit community.

Moreover, these leaders are capable of transforming communities. Jitan Ram Manjhi comes from Mahadalit Mushahar caste.

During the 2020 Assembly election, Jitan Ram Manjhi was part of the NDA and contested on seven seats. His party HAM managed to win four seats. He is very close to Chief Minister NItish Kumar, and it was seen after the 2014 Lok Sabha election when he gave the post of chief minister to Manjhi. Manjhi always shows a thankful gesture to Nitish Kumar for making him the chief minister.

Manjhi has a stronghold on the Mahadalit community, especially in Gaya, Nawada, Jahanabad, Aurangabad and some other districts. Both Nitish Kumar and BJP know his capacity to transform the Mahadalit votes in their favour. Hence, they cannot ignore him.

Chirag Paswan and Pasupati Kumar Paras are also Dalit leaders and are fighting for holding the legacy of Late Ram Vilas Paswan.

Everyone in Bihar knows the political status of Ram Vilas Paswan. He had an ability to understand the sentiments of voters in every election and go with those alliances whose chances are higher. As a result, his Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) stayed with the ruling party in the Center.

The strategy of his son Chirag Paswan and younger brother Pasupati Kumar Paras are also the same. They go with the ruling alliance. This is one aspect of Ram Vilas Paswan's politics. The other aspect of Ram Vilas Paswan politics was to help the people of his community out of context. This is the reason why he was the biggest leader of Paswan (Pasi community) having more than 4 per cent strength in Bihar.

During the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the LJP under the leadership of Ram Vilas Paswan contested six seats and won all of them. After his demise just before the 2020 Assembly election, Chirag Paswan played for the BJP and deeply hurt Nitish Kumar. Due to the Chirag factor, JD(U) came down from 69 in 2015 to 43 in the 2020 Assembly election. The LJP at that time played the role of 'Vote Katwa'. Due to his Vote Katwa approach, the party was split into two parts and Pasupati Kumar Paras took away five MPs.

Recently in bypolls of Mokama, Gopalganj and Kurhani, Chirag Paswan emerged as the crowd puller leader for NDA. He emerged as the most popular leader in NDA leaving behind all BJP leaders of Bihar. He has a great influence as a young emerging leader as well as among his community.

Chirag Paswan has good hold in Hajipur (Vaishali), Jamui, Samastipur, Lakhisarai and some other places of Bihar.

Since Chirag Paswan and Pasupati Kumar Paras are fighting for taking the political legacy of Ram Vilas Paswan, it will be interesting to see their approach in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. These two leaders are with the BJP currently.

After the formation of Mahagathbandhan government in Bihar, the political scope in NDA is much bigger for leaders like Chirag Paswan and Pasupati Kumar Paras. They are also known for the anti-Nitish Kumar politics.

If the fulcrum of Lalu Prasad Yadav surrounds Muslim and Yadav, Nitish Kumaros hold is on Lav-Kush (Kurmi and Koiri), and Chirag Paswan has a stronghold on Dalit and EBC communities.