Chirag ‘s Masterstroke Against Nitish Kumar, His Ambitions?

Poonam Sharma
Amidst Bihar’s volatile and changing political scenario, Chirag Paswan, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader, has created waves in the state’s corridors of power with his biting attack on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. His latest statement, “Backed by the Bihar government now, it is shameful,” is no ordinary dig. It is a calculated move highlighting underlying fault lines within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and a manifestation of Chirag’s increasing political ambition—perhaps as a future Chief Ministerial candidate.

A Calculated Distance Within the Alliance
Chirag’s tirade has come at a particularly sensitive time, with Bihar going to polls in the near future. The reason why his attack is noteworthy is the multilayered political messaging it conveys. While being a member of the NDA, Chirag has walked a fine line—attacking Nitish Kumar and his government’s shortcomings without taking on the BJP or Prime Minister Narendra Modi directly. This double-edged approach is one of cautious strategy. It keeps options open to switch sides with the BJP while keeping away from the administrative liabilities of Nitish Kumar’s tenure.

This positioning is all the more pertinent when placed against the background of Chirag’s solo campaign in the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, when his party fought separately and caused significant damage to Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), but fell short of winning seats. That was the step that defined Chirag as a rising force—someone ready to take a risk to construct his own constituency.

Targeting Governance to Shape Leadership Narrative
Chirag’s recent criticism—focusing on crime rate and lawlessness in Bihar—is neither opportunistic speech. Crime against women and weaker sections of society continues to be one of Bihar’s longstanding issues. By focusing on it, Chirag is positioning himself with genuine, emotional issues of the voters, especially amongst the youth and backward classes, which are dissatisfied with Nitish Kumar’s extended tenure characterized by administrative inaction in recent years.

His account quietly implies that Bihar needs better leadership—leadership that is more attentive, youthful, and grounded in grass-root realities. It is here that Chirag’s long-term goal enters the picture. His political messaging is not simply aimed at undermining Nitish Kumar, but at positioning himself as a credible alternative leader of Bihar—even a potential future Chief Minister.

The “Son of Dalit Icon” and the Reinvention of Political Legacy
As the heir of late Ram Vilas Paswan—a giant Dalit leader with pan-Indian stature—Chirag not only inherits a political party but a legacy that is ingrained in Bihar’s social life. Yet Chirag is not satisfied with just inheriting a legacy; he seems to be rewriting it too. While his father was respected for his skillful political strategizing and alliance-making, Chirag is embracing a more forceful, public-facing style of leadership.

He is keenly attempting to establish himself as the youth empowerment, backward caste assertion, and administrative reform torchbearer. His attack on Nitish Kumar is also a generational statement—setting the old guard’s fatigue against the dynamism of a new leader who wants to reshape Bihar’s destiny.

Fractures Within the NDA and Future Realignments
The political significance of Chirag’s denunciation extends beyond his own ambitions. His open disapproval of Nitish Kumar, while still diplomatically on the same page as the BJP, reveals the increasing unease within the NDA in Bihar. The BJP-JD(U) coalition, albeit tactically rekindled for the Lok Sabha elections, is still plagued by ideological differences and competing political agendas.

Chirag’s declarations could very well be a warning to the BJP high command—that he is prepared to step into the leadership void if the party finally decides to break with Nitish Kumar. This cannot be ruled out, considering the BJP’s known discomfort with Nitish’s fluctuating allegiances and fickle-governance reputation.

By positioning himself as the “internal critic” of the NDA, Chirag is providing the BJP with a possible alternate model of leadership in Bihar that may resonate with backward castes and aspirational youth alike.

Bihar’s Emerging Political Grammar: Cooperative Criticism
Chirag’s recent political activity also points to an emerging new political vocabulary in Indian states—so-called “cooperative criticism.” This entails the allies publicly criticizing the incumbent government to have a sense of independence and responsibility while remaining in the overall coalition for tactical advantages.

Under such a model, leaders such as Chirag attempt to leverage voter dissatisfaction without entirely breaking coalitions, thus having the advantage of both worlds—autonomy and clout. This also provides for maximum flexibility in post-poll coalition experiments, when political bargains shift swiftly.

Bihar’s Next Political Laboratory?
The next few months in Bihar are set to see more political maneuvering. All the actions by Chirag Paswan need to be viewed not as sporadic bursts of defiance but as a larger, extended enterprise—a bid to rebrand his party’s image, push against the established order, and ultimately make a claim on Bihar’s highest political position.

He is meticulously crafting his image as a leader unafraid to take a stand against injustice, even when the injustice originates from within his own bloc. By doing so, he is informing voters that he is not bound by the conventional political imperatives but rather is motivated by a sincere desire for change.

Whether or not Chirag will be the next Chief Minister of Bihar is an open question, but what is certain is that he has succeeded in placing himself firmly in the state’s political imagination as a credible contender. His present trajectory indicates that he is playing a long game—one that is marked by emotional intelligence, legacy politics, and opportunism. And in the treacherous world of Bihar politics, that may prove sufficient.