Union Home Minister Amit Shah has firmly stated that the Chief Minister’s position in Bihar is currently occupied by Nitish Kumar and is “not vacant.” This clarification comes amid ongoing discussions and questions surrounding the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming elections.
Addressing a rally in Samastipur, Shah directly addressed the opposition’s INDIA bloc and Mahagathbandhan. He accused RJD supremo Lalu Prasad of aiming to install his son, Tejashwi Yadav, as Bihar’s Chief Minister, and alleged that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi desires her son, Rahul Gandhi, to become the Prime Minister. Shah confidently stated that neither of these leadership positions is vacant.
“In Bihar, Nitish Kumar ji is the CM and in Delhi, Narendra Modi ji is on the Prime Minister post,” Shah declared, framing the current political landscape in the present tense.
This statement follows claims made by Tejashwi Yadav, the opposition’s CM candidate. Yadav had suggested that the BJP would not support Nitish Kumar as Chief Minister after the assembly elections, describing Kumar as a “puppet” in the NDA and alleging that the BJP was merely using his image. Yadav also pointed out the lack of a formal CM face announcement from the NDA, contrasting it with the INDIA bloc’s declared leadership.
However, Shah reiterated that the selection of a Chief Minister is a well-established process where MLAs make the decision. While the BJP and JDU have publicly stated their intention to contest the elections under Nitish Kumar’s leadership, a definitive announcement of the CM face has not yet been made.
The political landscape in Bihar is primarily set for a contest between the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan for the 2025 elections. Polling is scheduled in two phases on November 6 and November 11, with the results to be declared on November 14.