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Nitish Kumar called his short-lived alliances with the RJD and Congress a “mistake”, saying the RJD-Congress combine “always indulged in mischief when we shared power”.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he will remain in the NDA (X)
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, known for his political flip-flops, on Monday assured his commitment to the BJP-led NDA, announcing, “I am now back. And, I will not go anywhere henceforth….”
While addresing a gathering in Bihar’s Purnea, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited to launch and lay foundation stones of several projects worth Rs 36,000 crore, the Chief Minister defended his previous political flip-flops by blaming some of his party’s colleagues for making him switch sides.
“The JDU-BJP combine formed a government in Bihar, for the first time, in November 2005. For one or two times, I went to the other side, upon prodding of some of my own party colleagues, one of whom is sitting here,” Nitish said, pointing towards Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh ‘Lalan’, whom he replaced as the party’s national president nearly two years ago.
He further called his short-lived alliances with the RJD and Congress a “mistake”, saying the RJD-Congress combine “always indulged in mischief when we shared power”.
“For one or two times, I went to the other side… But that is a thing of the past. I could never be comfortable with those people… I am now back. And, I will not go anywhere henceforth,” the JDU supremo said as quoted by news agency PTI.
His remarks, which came ahead of the Bihar Legislative Assembly elections, drew a smile and applause from PM Modi, who shared the stage with him.
Further, the Chief Minister lauded the Prime Minister for initiatives in Bihar, particularly the Union Budget’s promise of a National Makhana Board, which PM Modi inaugurated in Purnea on Monday. He also highlighted his government’s recent steps, such as free supply of up to 125 units of power and an increase in social security pensions.
PM Modi Attacks Opposition, Vows Victory in Polls
Meanwhile, PM Modi slammed the Congress and RJD for insulting Bihar, citing a now-deleted social media post by the Congress’s Kerala unit, referring to the GST cut on the tobacco product, beedi.
Addressing the gathering, PM Modi alleged opposition leaders for ‘hating Bihar’ and causing “damage to Bihar’s reputation.”
“You must have seen just now that the RJD’s ally, the Congress Party, is comparing Bihar to a beedi on social media. These people hate Bihar so much. These people have caused a lot of damage to Bihar’s reputation through scams and corruption,” he said.
He also accused the Opposition of showing contempt for Bihar’s achievements. Remarking that Bihar’s current pace of development and progress is unsettling for some, PM Modi said that those who exploited Bihar for decades and betrayed its soil are unwilling to accept that Bihar can now set new benchmarks.
“Historic construction works have taken place, and Bihar-made railway engines are being exported abroad. Whenever Bihar moves forward, these people get busy insulting Bihar,” the PM said.
The Prime Minister emphasised his government’s focus on the welfare of the common people, ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vishwas‘, contrasting it with opposition parties like RJD and Congress, which he said prioritise their own families.
PM Modi also said that the opposition has been out of power in Bihar for the past two decades, and credited the women of Bihar–its mothers and sisters–as the driving force behind this change.
Nitish’s Political Flip-Flops
Ever since Nitish Kumar returned to the NDA in 2024, he has been trying hard to dispel his “Paltu Ram” image and prove his unwavering commitment to the BJP-led NDA.
Nitish Kumar has switched political alliances multiple times throughout his career. He first formed a government in Bihar with the JD(U)-BJP alliance in 2005 but parted ways in 2013 due to Narendra Modi’s nomination as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate.
In 2015, he returned to power with the support of the RJD and Congress, and went back to the BJP-led NDA two years later, saying he could not work with RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav and others. In 2022, he once again broke away from the BJP to ally with the RJD, only to return to the NDA the following year — adding another twist to his shifting political path.
Since his return to the NDA, he has affirmed his allegiance to the NDA on multiple occasions. Earlier in May this year, sharing the stage with PM Modi during a rally in Madhubani, Nitish Kumar had said: “I am going to remain here always. My party made me go here and there a couple of times earlier, but this is not going to happen again. Who made me CM? It was the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee.”
Bihar is preparing for assembly elections later this year, and as the election season draws closer, political circles are abuzz with statements and counter-statements from key leaders.
(With inputs from agencies)
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben…Read More
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben… Read More
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