From near oblivion to the next kingmaker: How Chirag Paswan became the knight in Bihar’s power map

When the political script of Bihar seemed predictably set — dominated by seasoned players, familiar alliances, and decade-old equations — a young leader stepped out of the shadows to rewrite his own destiny. At 43, Chirag Paswan, once dismissed as a lightweight inheritor of a political legacy, has now emerged as the unexpected knight on Bihar’s chessboard, altering moves, dictating terms, and signalling a generational shift in state politics. Advertisement

From winning just one seat in 2020 to leading in 22 of 28 seats in the 2025 Assembly polls, Chirag’s rise represents one of the most remarkable comebacks in recent Indian political history. And it did not happen by accident — it was forged through internal battles, alliance tensions, and an unmistakable hunger to step out of the late