Union minister Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), a constituent of the NDA, is weighing the option of contesting the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections independently as it seeks to expand beyond Bihar and establish itself in the country’s most populous state.
The move will also put the LJP (RV) in competition with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which has traditionally drawn substantial support from Dalit voters. However, the extent of any electoral impact would depend on the LJP (RV)’s organisational reach, candidate selection and ability to attract voters beyond its existing support base, Yadav added. Meanwhile, the JD(U), another key constituent of the NDA, is also eyeing to contest the UP polls. It has scheduled a state-level meeting of party workers at Varanasi to be attended by its national working president, Sanjay Jha, and health minister Nishant, son of party patriarch Nitish Kumar, a former chief minister of Bihar.
The party’s plans are expected to gain momentum on October 8, the death anniversary of its founder and Chirag’s father, Ram Vilas Paswan, a prominent Dalit leader and former Union minister. this will be its first large-scale observance in Uttar Pradesh Although the party marked Paswan’s first death anniversary in Delhi in 2021. During the youth-centric event aimed at Gen Z, students, and farmers, Chirag officially announced that the LJP (RV) was preparing to contest all 403 seats in the state.
This year, the party has shifted the event from Bihar to Lucknow, signalling its growing interest in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the assembly polls. Additionally, the LJP (RV) wants to convey a message to the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which has traditionally drawn substantial support from Dalit voters, that it faces stiff competition. “The strategy presents a delicate balancing act for Chirag Paswan. As a Union minister and NDA ally, he has an interest in preserving ties with the BJP.
The party held a few political events in UP this year, including the “Youth Bole Toh” programme in Prayagraj (September 27-28) and its state executive committee meeting in Lucknow (July 15). But expanding the party’s independent electoral base may strengthen its bargaining power in seat-sharing negotiations and reduce its dependence on Bihar,” said political commentator Gyanendra Yadav, professor in the department of sociology, College of Commerce, Arts and Science in Patna.
