Patna: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday ended weeks of speculation over the NDA’s chief ministerial face in Bihar, declaring that Nitish Kumar will continue to lead the alliance if it returns to power after the upcoming assembly elections.
Addressing a public rally in Alinagar, Darbhanga, in support of NDA candidates, Shah took a sharp dig at the opposition, saying, “Sonia Gandhi dreams of making her son the Prime Minister, and Lalu Prasad wants his son to be the Chief Minister. But let me tell you — there are no vacant seats in Delhi or Patna.”
The remark was seen as the clearest indication yet from the BJP that it would stand by Nitish Kumar as the face of the NDA in Bihar — quashing speculation that the party might project one of its own leaders for the post.
Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary later echoed Shah’s statement, asserting that there was “no vacancy” in Bihar’s leadership. “Nitish Kumar will once again be the Chief Minister of Bihar. The opposition is spreading rumours, but the NDA is united under his leadership,” he said.
Chaudhary accused RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav of being elevated to the position of chief ministerial face in the Grand Alliance not because of his merit but under pressure from Lalu Prasad. “He wasn’t chosen for his ability but because his father insisted. Lalu Prasad may be a senior leader, but he represents anarchy, and his entire party mirrors him,” Chaudhary said.
Shah’s announcement comes as a major reassurance to the Janata Dal (United), which had been facing persistent claims from opposition parties that the BJP would replace Nitish Kumar after the elections. The RJD and Congress had repeatedly pointed to the Madhya Pradesh model, where after winning the 2023 Assembly polls under Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s leadership, the BJP appointed Dr Mohan Yadav as Chief Minister.
