Patna (Bihar) [India], October 19 (ANI): Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan on Sunday criticised the Mahagathbandhan alliance in Bihar, specifically targeting Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav.

Speaking with ANI, Chirag Paswan pointed out that the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) is contesting elections alone in Jharkhand, which, according to him, showcases the inability of Tejashwi Yadav to forge effective alliances.

He also hit out at the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and questioned his absence in Bihar even after the nominations for the first phase were over on October 17, 2025.

'Where are those who worried about Bihar a lot and tried to mislead the public, talked about 'vote chori'. Where is Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi? Election dates have already been announced, and nominations for the first phase are over. They could not put their alliance in order. I am surprised by the leader of the opposition. JMM is contesting elections alone. There cannot be a friendly fight...They are contesting elections against each other. What message are they sending?' Chirag told ANI.

He further said that the leaders in the Mahagathbandhan who are sitting at the top are unaware of the ground realities.

'Leaders at the top will shake their hands later, but what impact will it leave on the party workers on the ground? This is not a matter of 15 to 20 seats, as the message would be spread in the entire state. This shows the incapability of RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who is leading the alliance and is projecting himself as the CM face. When he cannot unite his alliance, then how can he think of running a state like Bihar,' he further said.

Paswan highlighted that, unlike the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), where the BJP efficiently manages negotiations and coordination, the Mahagathbandhan lacks a unified leadership. This results in constituent parties contesting against each other rather than presenting a united front.

In the Bihar Assembly elections, two key alliances are presenting different interpretations of the 'MY' formula to woo voters. The Mahagathbandhan led by RJD is banking on its traditional stronghold of Muslim and Yadav voters, while the NDA, comprising the BJP and JD(U), LJP (Ram Vilas) is focusing on Mahila (women) and Yuva (youth) to drive its campaign.

Chirag's party, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), is contesting on 29 seats, the same number of seats his father won in the February 2005 assembly elections. Paswan attributes this to manifestations and spiritual connections.

Notably, the Lok Janshakti Party, led by Ram Vilas Paswan, won 29 seats during the 2005 Bihar Assembly polls as an ally of Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal.

The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) announced its first list of 14 candidates for the Bihar elections on October 14 and later released its second list of 15 candidates on October 16.

The 2025 Bihar Elections will have the main contest between the National Democratic Alliance and the Mahagathbandhan.

NDA includes the Bharatiya Janata Party, Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha, meanwhile the Mahagathbandhan led by Rashtriya Janata Dal include Congress party, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI-ML) led by Deepankar Bhattacharya, the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), and Mukesh Sahani's Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP).

Additionally, Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj has also staked claims on all 243 seats of the state.

Meanwhile, polling in the Bihar 2025 elections is scheduled to take place on November 6 and 11, respectively, while the results will be declared on November 14. (ANI)