'After the 2020 Bihar assembly polls when our party got only 43 seats and our ally the BJP got 73 seats, Nitish Kumar refused to become chief minister and assured the BJP that he will support the government led by anyone.'
'But the BJP's top leaders told Nitish Kumar that as the NDA contested the polls under his leadership, the next government will be headed by him.'
Senior ruling Janata Dal-United leader and former Bihar minister Neeraj Kumar, known for his aggressive defence of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, also the party's national president, is confident that the National Democratic Alliance will contest the Bihar assembly elections under Nitish Kumar's leadership.
The JD-U chief spokesperson, who is considered close to Nitish Kumar, made it clear that the alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party will continue post-polls and claimed that all NDA partners favour Nitish Kumar continuing in office as chief minister.
"Nitish Kumar will be chief minister from 2025 to 2030. We will not compromise on it," Kumar tells Rediff Senior Contributor M I Khan.
Why is the BJP leadership reluctant to declare Nitish Kumar as the NDA's chief ministerial candidate?
It is not reluctance. The top BJP leadership has announced that the NDA will contest the polls under Nitish Kumar's leadership.
If the NDA is re-elected Nitish Kumar will head the government.
If the BJP leadership repeatedly made it clear that Nitish Kumar will be leader of the NDA in the elections, it simply means that he will be the chief ministerial face.
Leaders of all NDA partners at a district conference publicly announced that they will go to the polls under Nitish Kumar's leadership and that the next government will be headed by him.
From 2025 to 2030 the chief minister's chair is fixed for Nitish Kumar, who is the most experienced, suitable and capable face.
After the 2020 Bihar assembly polls when our party got only 43 assembly seats and our ally the BJP got 73 assembly seats out of 243, Nitish Kumar refused to become chief minister and assured the BJP that he will support the government led by anyone.
But the BJP's top leaders told Nitish Kumar that as the NDA contested the polls under his leadership, the next government will be headed by him, so Nitish Kumar became the chief minister.
Our strike rate was bad in the last assembly polls in 2020 but the image and stature of our leader Nitish Kumar is such that he was made chief minister.
Nitish Kumar is Vikas Purush, who has established the rule of law and taken Bihar out of jungle raj.
Even the people's wish is that Nitish should continue as the chief minister for development.
Opposition leaders have claimed that the BJP will dump Nitish Kumar after the polls like what it did with Eknath Shinde in Maharashtra.
There is no truth in it. Opposition leaders have nothing to say so they have been trying to create confusion among the people.
There is no confusion as far as Nitish Kumar is concerned for the chief minister's post.
Bihar is not Maharashtra, Bihar and Maharashtra are different as far as politics and people matter.
After the last assembly polls we had 43 MLAs, there was no split. No one can dare to experiment a Maharashtra in Bihar.
Political analysts say an alliance with Nitish Kumar and the JD-U is a must for the BJP to perform well and win the assembly polls.
It is very clear that Nitish Kumar is a guarantee for winning Bihar. This is a fact: Nitish Kumar's presence in any alliance ensures its victory in polls.
In the last 20 years, whenever he joined one or other alliance, that was voted to power. This will be repeated in the next polls in Bihar as well.
There is no alternative to Nitish Kumar. Our political rivals also accept that he is the best available option.
What is important that there is no anti-incumbency against Nitish Kumar despite being in power for 20 years.
This time the JD-U is confident of performing better by improving its strike rate. We have done well in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The party will contest the same number of seats it did in the last polls.
We have to reach out to people with the NDA's list of achievements and tell people about development projects like roads, electricity and drinking water to education and health sectors, to empowerment of women which changed the state.
We have to aggressively counter our rivals in a decent and democratic way.
We have to work together to strengthen the NDA.
Opposition leaders have expressing concern over Nitish Kumar's physical and mental health and his odd behaviour at public functions.
The RJD and Congress should not worry about Nitish Kumar. He remains a strong and popular leader. Nitish Kumar is fully healthy.
Has any doctor given a report or certificate that Nitish Kumar is ailing? The RJD has no health report for Nitish Kumar. They are spreading lies.
Nitish Kumar is active and works for hours daily, visiting and inspecting ongoing development projects across the state, chairing meeting of top officials and holding discussions with cabinet colleagues and NDA leaders on a regular basis.
If Nitish Kumar is physically ill, how come he is active and working as usual daily without a break?
Is there any medical bulletin about Nitish Kumar? Certainly not.
RJD leaders should worry about Lalu Prasad's health. His medical report states that he had a kidney transplant and heart surgery.
IMAGE: Neeraj KumarThe Congress, the RJD and Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraj want to make a dent in Nalanda, considered Nitish Kumar's stronghold since the 1995 assembly elections when his Samata Party contested for the first time and won seven assembly seats there.
Is the JD-U prepared to face the Opposition challenge?
Nalanda is our stronghold for years. One or the other party had tried in the past to dent our support base and damage us but has failed so far. The poll outcome always comes in our favour in Nalanda.
It is difficult for others to taste success there.
Nitish Kumar has done a lot of development work in Nalanda and the people understand it.
The JD-U is working as usual among the people and telling them to be cautious about Opposition parties who have nothing to do with development.
Jan Suraj founder Prashant Kishor is vigorously targeting Nitish Kumar over the law and order situation and other issues.
Prashant Kishor is immaterial in Bihar, he has no social support base of his own. He is trying to fool the people.
Has anyone accused Nitish Kumar of corruption?
Opposition leaders have realised that there is no vacancy in Bihar.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
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