Patna: Union minister and national president of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Chirag Paswan, arrived in Patna on Sunday for his first visit to the state in the new year, during which he met the governor and the chief minister and announced plans for a statewide outreach campaign.
Paswan called on Arif Mohammad Khan, the governor of Bihar, and Nitish Kumar, extending New Year greetings to both leaders. Addressing party workers later, he said the LJP (Ram Vilas) would soon launch an “Aabhar Yatra” (gratitude tour) and that a traditional dahi-chura feast would be organised at the party office on January 15 to mark Makar Sankranti.
At a press conference, Paswan launched a scathing attack on the opposition, singling out Rahul Gandhi of the Congress and Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar assembly.
Paswan claimed that several opposition MLAs had contacted him over time but said he did not encourage defections, citing his own experience of a party split. “Whether they join or not is a different matter, but the truth is that there is deep dissatisfaction among leaders and MLAs of the RJD and the Congress,” he said.
According to Paswan, the discontent was not merely a result of electoral defeat but stemmed from what he described as the opposition leadership’s failure to stand by party workers. He contrasted his own response to defeat in the 2020 assembly elections with that of Tejashwi Yadav, saying he had publicly accepted responsibility the day after the results.
आज बिहार प्रदेश कार्यालय में राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष सह केंद्रीय मंत्री आदरणीय श्री @iChiragPaswan जी ने प्रेस कांफ्रेंस कर मीडिया के साथियों को संबोधित किया। pic.twitter.com/DKTYxW7wsp
— Lok Janshakti Party (Ramvilas) (@LJP4India) January 11, 2026
“There is nothing wrong in taking a break or spending time with family, but when you hold a responsible position, you must fulfil your duties,” Paswan said, accusing the RJD leader of failing to communicate with workers or analyse the party’s defeat. He warned that continued allegations of vote rigging without introspection could weaken the party further.
Paswan also alleged that the RJD had survived politically since 2005 largely because of support from Nitish Kumar, describing it as a “lifeline” provided at crucial moments.
Turning to national issues, the LJP (Ram Vilas) chief accused the opposition of spreading misinformation on the National Register of Citizens and the Citizenship Amendment Act. He also criticised the Congress over the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, accusing it of politicising the name of Mahatma Gandhi.
“No one can even imagine removing Bapu’s name, but the Congress has objections to the name of Ram,” Paswan said, alleging that the party was using Gandhi’s legacy to mask its stance.
Looking ahead, Paswan expressed confidence that the NDA would return to power in Assam, and predicted the formation of NDA governments in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
