"Hope to receive same affection my father received": Chirag Paswan on contesting from Hajipur

Speaking to ANI, Chirag Paswan said, "There is an atmosphere of excitement towards NDA in the state. We have no doubt that we are winning 40 out of 40 seats."

Chirag Paswan is contesting from Hajipur constituency. He is pitted against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate Shiv Chandra Ram.

"Hajipur has been my home, my family...I went to people seeking their blessings. I am sure that the love and affection that my father used to receive, the same love and affection, the public of Hajipur will bestow upon me," he said.

He also urged people to vote for the development of a 'Viksit Bihar' and'Viksit Bharat'.

"I urge all the voters that each and every vote matters...For the creation of a new Bihar, 'Viksit Bihar' and 'Viksit Nation', use your vote effectively," Paswan added.

Hajipur, a seat reserved for Scheduled Castes, is considered to be a bastion of Ram Vilas Paswan. He won the seat eight times from 1977 to 2014, losing only twice in 1984 and 2009.

The Lok Sabha constituency comprising six Assembly segments: Hajipur, Lalganj, Mahua, Raja Pakar, Raghopur, and Mahnar, will go to the polls on May 20.

The 40 seats in Bihar are undergoing polls in all seven phases. In 2019, BJP-led NDA swept the state by winning 39 out of 40 seats, while Congress won just one seat. RJD, a formidable force in the state failed to open its account. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.

In Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance), the opposition coalition in Bihar, including Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, and Left parties; RJD, its largest constituent, is contesting on 26 out of the state's 40 Lok Sabha seats, while Congress is contesting on nine seats.

As part of the NDA; BJP and JD(U) will contest on 17 and 16 seats respectively. Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will contest five seats, and Jitan Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) will contest one seat each. (ANI)