To fill ‘obvious gap’ ahead of Bihar polls, Chirag and party attempt Bahujan makeover

On June 29, the LJP (RV) hosted a Bahujan Bhim Sankalp Samagam in Nalanda, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s constituency. This was the first time that the party, formed three-and-a-half years ago after a split in the Lok Janshakti Party founded by the late Dalit leader Ram Vilas Paswan, organised a political programme under the banner of Bahujan, an overarching term often used for a coalition of Dalit, Other Backward Classes, Tribes and minorities.  

Justifying the switch from being known as a Dalit to a Bahujan party, Mr. Bharti said, “There is an obvious gap in Bahujan leadership in the Hindi belt. The leaders who had led the Bahujan movement either are not there or have become weak. There is no leader qualified to represent this group. Chirag Paswan, even while being in government, offers the only voice who takes up the concerns of this group.” 

Mr. Paswan recently announced that he will contest the Assembly elections and specified that he will pick a non-reserved seat. Explaining the reason, Mr. Bharti said, “Chirag Paswan or LJP (RV) is not a political outfit of one caste, creed or community. We speak for one and all.”

Barring two Assembly polls in 2005 (February and October), the erstwhile LJP, led by Ram Vilas, never got a double-digit vote share in Bihar since its formation in 2000. Its vote share has ranged from five to close to seven per cent, which also coincides with the Paswan population in the State. It reflects the LJP’s failure to hold any influence over other Dalit caste groups. According to the 2022 caste survey in the State, Dalits comprise an estimated 19.65% of the State’s population. 

To a question on whether repeated remarks by Mr. Paswan and the party on the need to rise above the caste divide ignored the State’s reality, Mr. Bharti said that fragmentation in the electorate into various groups suits certain parties but it does not necessarily help the voter. “Yes, caste is a truth of the society. But we must also remember that poverty or illness does not differentiate between various castes or religions,” he added. 

On whether Mr. Paswan is a Dalit leader and his party a Dalit outfit, Mr. Bharti said, “We would have been in the past… Right now, Chirag Paswan is a Bahujan leader and LJP (RV) is a Bahujan party and going ahead it is going to be our endeavour to make this party a national party so that we can raise the voice for caste or class.”

LJP (RV) will hold another round of rallies in south Bihar. The focus on the region is deliberate, said Mr. Bharti. “There are certain regions in Bihar — Shahbad and Magadh – where the NDA did not perform well. For example, in Shahbad, out of 22 seats, the NDA got only two seats (in the last Assembly election). If you are a responsible ally, you have to show strength in the areas where you can make the NDA stronger. We have seen that Chirag Paswan’s presence here brings in greater turn out in favour of the NDA,” he added.