Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly lauding ally and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s leadership in the state on the day he launched a campaign in favour of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidates may end a leadership controversy.
As ought to Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan’s public show of obeisance to Nitish Kumar end doubts over their current relation. Chirag bowed down before a sitting Nitish to touch the septuagenarian Chief Minister’s feet at a poll programme in Samastipur district’s Karpoorigram.
At the campaign launch in Karpoorigram, Prime Minister Modi shared his confidence that the alliance under Nitish in Bihar would break all its previous records and deliver the biggest ever mandate. In Begusarai again, the Prime Minister reiterated his backing for Nitish Kumar for years of good governance, and credited the NDA government for stabilising Bihar after the “jungle raj” years.
Contrasting the NDA’s governance record with what he called dynastic and corrupt politics of the Opposition, he presented Nitish as central to the ruling bloc's development agenda for Bihar. Promising accelerated industrial growth and job creation, he urged voters to give the NDA a large mandate while Nitish was sitting beside him.
The leadership debate was sparked a few days ago by what seemed like a routine remark from Home Minister Amit Shah, who, when asked about the NDA’s likely Chief Ministerial candidate, stated that the decision would rest with the elected MLAs after the election results a standard response in line with established procedure.
However, the Opposition seized upon his statement to suggest that the NDA remains uncertain about Nitish Kumar’s position in the post-election scenario. Meanwhile, the extended seat-sharing discussions among NDA allies have fueled speculation that Chirag Paswan, reportedly discontented, might once again consider taking an independent path, reminiscent of his stance during the 2020 Assembly elections.
The two major constituents of the NDA, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (United) agreed to contest 101 seats each, allotting allies LJP (RV) 29, and six each to the Hindustani Awam Morcha and Rashtriya Lok Morcha.
Claiming reports said that it was far less than what Chirag had proposed for his party candidates, there were talks of the young Paswan walking out of the NDA and fielding his own candidates in at least half of Bihar’s 243 Assembly constituencies.
Nothing like that happened, but talks continued about alleged dissatisfaction in the LJP (RV). Incidentally, in 2020, Chirag had openly revolted against Nitish Kumar, alleging misgovernance and corruption. However, he continued to claim loyalty towards Prime Minister Modi, calling himself the latter’s Hanuman during the period.
Though his decision upset the NDA’s applecart in several seats, hurting Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) more, only one out of 135 candidates fielded by the then undivided LJP could win a seat, where 110 forfeited their deposits.
But about a year after his victory, the lone LJP MLA Raj Kumar Singh joined the JD(U) in the presence of the Chief Minister himself. Despite the differences and the setback, Chirag bounced back in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, with a 100 per cent strike rate with his LJP (RV) candidates winning all five seats the party contested in alliance with the NDA. After that victory, he had made several outreaches in building a working relation with Nitish, though underlying tension was sometimes palpable.