Patna: Posters demanding that Chirag Paswan be made the next chief minister of Bihar have appeared across Patna, intensifying political speculation as chief minister Nitish Kumar prepares to enter the Rajya Sabha.
The posters, put up by members of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), carry slogans such as: “No riots, no disturbances, only Chirag should be the chief minister of Bihar.” They call for Paswan to lead the state and highlight him as a young leader capable of ushering in what they describe as a “golden age” for Bihar.
According to the posters, which were reportedly installed by district president Imam Ghazali, Paswan has the backing of Narendra Modi, referring to him as the prime minister’s “Hanuman”. The messages also claim that the National Democratic Alliance would form the government in the state and that Paswan should be its chief ministerial face.
This is not the first time leaders from the party have advocated Paswan for the role. Arun Bharti, the MP from Jamui and Paswan’s brother-in-law, has previously said he would like to see Paswan as Bihar’s chief minister, though he acknowledged that the decision would ultimately be taken collectively by the ruling alliance.
Speculation about the state’s next chief minister has grown after Kumar’s anticipated nomination to the Rajya Sabha. Several leaders from the ruling alliance are being discussed as possible successors. Among them are deputy chief ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, as well as union minister of state for home affairs Nityanand Rai and BJP leader Nitish Mishra.
From the Janata Dal (United), the names of ministers Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and Shrawon Kumar have also been mentioned in political discussions.
There has also been speculation about a possible woman chief minister, with the names of Shreyasi Singh and Gayatri Devi circulating in political circles. Meanwhile, Nishant Kumar, the son of Nitish Kumar, recently joined the JD(U), prompting some party workers to demand that he be considered for the role.
With multiple names now being discussed, Paswan’s supporters have added further pressure through the poster campaign, while the NDA leadership is yet to signal who may lead Bihar if the chief minister moves to the upper house of parliament.
