Madhubani/Patna: In a rare public admission, Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) President Nitish Kumar on Thursday acknowledged internal missteps within his party during its brief alliance with the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan, indirectly blaming former JD(U) president and union minister Rajiv Ranjan alias Lallan Singh for the 2022 fallout with the BJP. Speaking from the stage at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official event in Jhanjharpur, Madhubani, Nitish declared, “Our party had messed up in the middle… He is sitting here, ask him,” while gesturing toward Lallan, who was present on stage.
Without naming RJD leaders Lalu Prasad or Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Nitish said, “They mess up everything. That’s why we fought against them before, and we will never go with them again.” Recalling the 2005 Assembly elections, Nitish praised Lallan Singh’s earlier contributions to JD(U)’s rise, stating, “He fought with us, and even led the party then.” However, his tone shifted as he alluded to Singh’s role in supporting the Grand Alliance in 2022.
The Chief Minister’s remarks are the first time he has openly attributed blame to a senior party leader for the JD(U)-BJP split that lasted from August 2022 to January 2024. During that period, JD(U) aligned with RJD, Congress, and Left parties to form the government in Bihar, with Tejashwi Yadav serving as Deputy Chief Minister.
Nitish, who reclaimed leadership of the party in December 2023 following Lallan Singh’s resignation as JD(U) national president, formally returned to the NDA fold in January 2024, rejoining forces with BJP and reshaping the Bihar government.
At Thursday’s rally, Nitish offered full-throated support to the Prime Minister, declaring, “Modi ji has done a lot for Bihar. We are together now, and we will stay together.” His comments were seen as both a reaffirmation of the JD(U)-BJP alliance and a subtle message of accountability within his own party.
