Pashupati Kumar Paras breaks ties with NDA, to contest Bihar polls alone

IANS April 14, 2025 133 views

In a significant political shift, Pashupati Kumar Paras has announced his party's exit from the NDA ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections. The RLJP chief launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, accusing him of being anti-Dalit and ineffective in addressing crimes against the community. Paras plans to contest all 243 assembly seats independently, signaling a strategic realignment in Bihar's political landscape. He also urged the central government to confer Bharat Ratna posthumously to Ramvilas Paswan, whom he considers a champion of Dalit rights.

"From today, there will be no relation with NDA" - Pashupati Kumar Paras
Patna, April 14: In a significant political development ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) chief and former Union Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras announced his party’s exit from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Key Points

1

Announces independent contest in all 243 Bihar assembly seats

2

Criticizes Nitish Kumar's governance on Dalit rights

3

Demands Bharat Ratna for Ramvilas Paswan

4

Highlights rising crimes against Dalits

The announcement was made on Monday during a function in Patna commemorating Ambedkar Jayanti. “I was in alliance with the BJP and NDA since 2014. But from today, there will be no relation with NDA,” declared Paras.

Paras further said that his party will contest all 243 assembly seats in Bihar independently, marking a bold move aimed at establishing RLJP as a key player in state politics.

“The people of Bihar have made up their mind to change the NDA government led by Nitish Kumar,” Paras said, claiming to have already visited 22 districts as part of grassroots mobilisation and will visit the remaining 16 districts in the coming days.

Launching a scathing attack on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Paras accused him of being anti-Dalit and “mentally ill”, citing rising crimes against Dalits.

He also referred to recent incidents in Aurangabad and Rohtas, including the case of Komal Paswan and Ranjit Paswan, alleging inaction by the state government.

“On the day of Holi on March 14, in the Aurangabad district of Bihar, Komal Paswan was playing Holi with her friends, and a son of Lok Janshakti Party Ramvilas’s leader allegedly mowed her down using his bike. She eventually succumbed due to the injuries. Shockingly, the Nitish Kumar government has not taken any action against him,” Paras said.

He also highlighted the incident in Rohtas district when Ranjit Paswan was gunned down by a police officer, and the Nitish Kumar government had not taken any action against the culprits.

Paras also urged the Central government to confer Bharat Ratna posthumously to Ramvilas Paswan, calling him the “second Ambedkar.”

“Ramvilas Paswan fought his entire life for Dalit rights. He deserves the country’s highest civilian honour,” he said.

Reader Comments

S
Sunita K.
Big move by Paras ji! Bihar politics just got more interesting. Hope this leads to better representation for Dalit communities 🤞
A
Amit R.
While I respect his decision, contesting all 243 seats alone seems too ambitious. Wouldn't strategic alliances serve Dalit interests better?
P
Priya M.
The cases he mentioned are truly heartbreaking 💔 More leaders should speak up against caste violence. But calling Nitish Kumar "mentally ill" was unnecessary.
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Rajesh S.
Finally some bold action! NDA has taken Dalit votes for granted for too long. Time for change in Bihar!
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Neha T.
Bharat Ratna for Ramvilas Paswan is a great suggestion. He was truly a champion for social justice. Hope the government considers this seriously.
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Vikram J.
Interesting development but I worry this might split anti-NDA votes. Bihar needs strong opposition, not more fragmentation. The timing seems political rather than ideological.

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