
Wed Jul 02 16:45:18 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary and rewritten news article based on the provided text:
**Summary:**
Ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (LJP RV) is strategically rebranding itself from a Dalit-focused party to a broader “Bahujan” (Dalit, OBC, Tribes, Minorities) party. This move aims to expand the party’s appeal beyond the Paswan community, which constitutes a relatively small percentage of Bihar’s population. The party believes there’s a leadership vacuum in the Bahujan political space in Bihar, and they aim to fill it with Chirag Paswan. The LJP(RV) will focus on regions where the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) performed poorly in the previous election, aiming to bolster the coalition’s strength.
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**News Article:**
**Paswan’s LJP (RV) Eyes Broader Base, Rebrands as ‘Bahujan’ Party Ahead of Bihar Elections**
*New Delhi –* With the Bihar Assembly elections looming later this year, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (LJP RV), led by Chirag Paswan, is making a calculated move to rebrand itself as a “Bahujan” party, seeking to widen its appeal beyond its traditional Dalit base.
In an interview, LJP (RV) strategist Arun Bharti stated that Chirag Paswan is a Bahujan leader and LJP (RV) is a Bahujan party and the party aims to become a national party.
The LJP (RV) recently held a “Bahujan Bhim Sankalp Samagam” in Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s constituency, marking the first time the party has organized a political program under the Bahujan banner since its formation three-and-a-half years ago following a split within the original Lok Janshakti Party.
This shift comes as the party looks to improve its electoral performance. Historically, the LJP has struggled to achieve double-digit vote shares in Bihar, often mirroring the Paswan community’s representation in the state’s population. By embracing a broader Bahujan identity, the party hopes to attract support from other Dalit groups, Other Backward Classes, Tribes, and minorities.
“There is an obvious gap in Bahujan leadership in the Hindi belt,” Bharti explained. “Chirag Paswan offers the only voice who takes up the concerns of this group.”
Paswan has announced he will contest from a non-reserved seat. According to the party, Chirag Paswan or LJP (RV) is not a political outfit of one caste, creed or community. “We speak for one and all”.
The LJP (RV) plans to hold rallies in southern Bihar, targeting areas where the NDA coalition, of which they are a part, underperformed in the last election. The LJP RV’s strategy signifies a conscious effort to expand its political influence and play a more significant role in Bihar’s upcoming electoral contest.