Varanasi: Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief and Union Minister Chirag Paswan has indicated that his party could contest all 403 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh if it fails to reach a seat-sharing agreement with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the state elections. Paswan made the remarks while speaking to reporters in Varanasi on Thursday (November 5), where he attended a party-organised event as part of the LJP (Ram Vilas)'s political outreach programme in the state.

Source: The Indian Witness

Paswan clarified that formal discussions regarding an alliance for the Uttar Pradesh elections had not yet begun. He expressed hope that an understanding would eventually be reached with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), pointing out that his party is already part of the alliance at the national level and in Bihar, and referred to the party's electoral arrangements in other states, including Jharkhand and Delhi.

Source: The Indian Witness

Citing the party's performance in Nagaland, Paswan said the LJP (Ram Vilas) had contested independently in the 2023 Assembly elections there and secured two seats. He used the example to underline the party's willingness to pursue an independent electoral strategy if an agreement with its allies cannot be finalised, and said the party expected to establish itself as a strong contender and an alternative political force in Uttar Pradesh as the elections approach.

Source: The Indian Witness

The Varanasi remarks follow the roadmap Paswan set out in an interview to ANI earlier this week, in which he said his party was '100 per cent prepared' for every eventuality in Uttar Pradesh, welcomed an alliance but said the LJP (Ram Vilas) was fully geared up to field candidates across all 403 constituencies on its own, and announced the major public meeting in Kashi (Varanasi) and the party's foundation day celebrations in Lucknow on November 28.

Source: ANI

The party has already started identifying constituencies where it hopes to strengthen its presence: during an earlier visit to Lucknow, Paswan said the LJP (Ram Vilas) had shortlisted priority and 'A category' seats but declined to disclose the number it intended to seek in a possible seat-sharing arrangement. The party is also looking to expand its support base among Dalit voters in Uttar Pradesh beyond the Jatav community, which has traditionally supported the Bahujan Samaj Party.

Source: The Indian Witness

The LJP (Ram Vilas)'s electoral presence in Uttar Pradesh has so far remained limited — it secured no seats in the 2022 Assembly elections — making a statewide solo expansion a significant organisational challenge ahead of the 2027 polls. Whether the party eventually contests as an NDA partner or independently will depend on the outcome of future seat-sharing discussions.

Source: The Indian Witness