#BiharResults: Awadhesh Singh Pushes BJP Ahead in Hajipur as NDA Banks on Chirag Paswan’s Support

As vote counting unfolded on November 14, 2025, for Bihar's 243-seat assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Awadhesh Singh emerged with an early lead in the Hajipur constituency, a traditional stronghold of ally Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). Despite the seat's historical ties to the late Ram Vilas Paswan's family, the BJP fielded Singh against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Dev Kumar Chaurasia, reflecting the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) strategic seat-sharing under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Early trends from the Election Commission of India showed the NDA surging ahead statewide, leading in over 150 seats and crossing the majority mark of 122, while the opposition Mahagathbandhan trailed with leads in around 70-80 constituencies. Hajipur, a general seat in the Vaishali district with a voter turnout of 66.84% on November 6, highlighted the NDA's confidence in consolidating support in Paswan's bastion.

Awadhesh Singh, the sitting MLA since 2015, built on his narrow 2020 victory over Chaurasia by a margin of 2,990 votes, where he secured approximately 49% of the votes in the prior cycle. The constituency, part of the Hajipur Lok Sabha seat that Chirag Paswan won decisively in the 2024 general elections by 170,105 votes, has been a BJP domain at the assembly level for over a decade, following a stint under Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) from 2005 to 2015. This year's contest drew 12 candidates, including independents and nominees from smaller parties like the Jan Suraaj Party's Pratibha Sinha, but the primary battle remained between Singh and Chaurasia. The NDA's decision to allocate Hajipur to the BJP underscores the alliance's dynamics, with LJP contesting 29 other seats, including key ones in Jamui and Khagaria districts, after initially demanding 25 or more.

Chirag Paswan, a two-time Lok Sabha MP and son of the iconic Dalit leader Ram Vilas Paswan—who founded the LJP and served in multiple Union cabinets—has solidified his role within the NDA since rejoining in 2021 following a family rift. Entering politics in 2014 with a win from Jamui, Paswan assumed full control of the LJP (Ram Vilas) faction amid his father's health issues and led it to relevance despite the 2019 split with uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras. His party's 29 seats in the 2025 arrangement, alongside BJP's 101, JD(U)'s 101, and smaller allies like Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha with six each, position the NDA to potentially retain power. Paswan's influence in Dalit and Paswan communities remains pivotal, even as Hajipur's assembly exclusion tests alliance loyalty in this semi-urban belt known for its agricultural economy and proximity to Patna.

Also Read: Chirag Paswan Redefines Dalit Politics With Strategic Reinvention and Bihar Comeback

The 2025 Bihar polls, conducted in two phases on November 6 and 11 amid high-stakes campaigns focused on jobs, migration, and women's safety, signal a potential NDA resurgence after the razor-thin 2020 outcome where they secured 125 seats. Exit polls had projected NDA gains of 146-180 seats, driven by consolidated upper-caste and EBC votes, while the Mahagathbandhan—comprising RJD, Congress, and Left parties—banked on Yadav and Muslim support. With NDA leads widening to 169-179 seats by mid-morning, analysts anticipate a stable government under Nitish Kumar, though speculation swirls over CM leadership if BJP outperforms JD(U). In Hajipur, Singh's lead exemplifies the alliance's bet on Paswan's goodwill translating into votes, potentially fortifying NDA control in eastern Bihar as final tallies emerge by evening.

Also Read: Chirag Paswan Declares Unwavering Loyalty to PM Modi, Rules Out Post-Poll Alliances