For Chirag Paswan, who overcame several setbacks and embarrassments in his fight for the legacy of his father, the late Ram Vilas Paswan, the Bihar poll performance is poetic justice.

Chirag who firmly tied his fortunes with the BJP , declaring himself Prime Minister Narendra Modi ’s ‘Hanuman’, is the newest star on Bihar’s political horizon. At 43, he also has age on his side as the state looks for young faces.

Five years after Paswan Senior, the stalwart Dalit leader of the state, died, and despite the split in the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) following it, Chirag has now taken his LJP (RV) faction close to the party’s best-ever performance.

Before this, the LJP’s highest tally was in February 2005, when it won 29 seats. That election resulted in a hung House, and in the re-poll late

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