VARANASI — Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan announced on Thursday that his party is prepared to contest all 403 assembly seats in the upcoming 2027 Uttar Pradesh elections should formal seat-sharing talks with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) fail to yield a pact.
Speaking to media representatives in Varanasi during a regional party outreach event, Paswan emphasized that while maintaining an alliance within the central government and in Bihar remains the primary objective, the party maintains a precedent of independent expansion in states outside its primary base.
Alliance Framework and Expansion Strategy
Outlining the party’s strategy for the neighboring state, the LJP (Ram Vilas) leader cited previous electoral precedents to underscore the party’s willingness to go solo if coalition terms are not reached:
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Nagaland Precedent: Paswan pointed to the 2023 Nagaland Legislative Assembly elections, where the party contested independently without an NDA arrangement, securing two legislative seats and obtaining state-party status with nearly nine percent of the vote share.
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Seat-Sharing Intentions: While formal seat-sharing negotiations have yet to commence, the party leadership revealed that priority “A-category” constituencies across Uttar Pradesh have already been identified for internal mobilization.
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Organizing Schedule: The LJP (Ram Vilas) announced plans to host its formal foundation day celebrations in Lucknow on November 28 as part of an ongoing drive to establish a political footprint in the state.
Regional Dynamics and Electoral Context
The expansion push into Uttar Pradesh positions the Bihar-based outfit within a competitive regional landscape alongside existing coalition partners:
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Demographic Mobilization: The party’s campaign targets non-Jatav Scheduled Caste demographics across the state, particularly focusing on the Pasi community to build electoral support within Uttar Pradesh’s 21 percent Dalit population.
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NDA Coalition Matrix: The BJP’s existing alliance ecosystem in Uttar Pradesh already includes key regional parties, including the Apna Dal (Sonelal), the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), and the NISHAD Party.
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Track Record Context: While the party holds strong legislative positions in Bihar—having secured 19 seats in the 2025 Bihar assembly elections and five Lok Sabha seats in 2024—its historical presence in Uttar Pradesh remains limited, having last won a single assembly seat in 2002 under the undivided LJP.
