NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday kicked off his Bihar election campaign from Samastipur, joined by chief minister Nitish Kumar, reaffirming the NDA’s confidence of returning to power and attacking the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan. PM Modi took a sharp dig at Lalu Prasad’s party, saying Bihar would keep “jungle raj” at bay by voting for good governance.Addressing a rally, PM Modi declared, “This time under the leadership of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, NDA will break all its previous records of victory. Bihar will give NDA its biggest ever mandate.”The statement, can be viewed as an endorsement of Kumar as the NDA’s chief ministerial face.Expressing gratitude for the large turnout, he said, “I am overwhelmed by the love that you have showered. The mood that is there in Samastipur and Mithila, the only true thing is – ‘nayi raftaar se chalega Bihar, jab fir se aayegi NDA sarkar’…”In a symbolic gesture, PM urged the crowd to turn on their mobile flashlights and quipped, “When there is so much light… then do we need ‘lalten’ (lantern)? Bihar ko ‘lalten’ (RJD) aur uske saathi nahi chahiye.”Recalling the state’s political history, the prime minister targeted the RJD-Congress alliance, saying, “It was October 2005 when Bihar got rid of ‘Jungle Raj’ and NDA’s good governance under the leadership of Nitish Kumar began. But Congress-RJD was in power at the Centre. They created many obstacles, and the RJD left no stone unturned to damage Bihar. It was RJD taking revenge on the people of Bihar, even threatening Congress to withdraw support if they wanted to help the BJP-NDA government in Bihar.”
Uncertainty over CM face
Within the NDA, BJP leaders continue to laud Nitish Kumar’s administrative record, yet none have formally declared him as the alliance’s chief ministerial candidate. Asked directly about the NDA’s CM face, Union home minister Amit Shah said, “I am not the one to decide whether Nitish Kumar will be CM or not. For now, we are contesting under his leadership. After the elections, all allies will sit together and decide their leader.”He added, “The NDA and Nitish Kumar fought against ‘jungle raj’ in the past and will fight it again.” While Shah’s remarks recognized Nitish’s leadership, they also left open the possibility that his continuation as chief minister is not guaranteed.Since 2005, Nitish Kumar has been Bihar’s unchallenged political face, leading every election regardless of whether JD(U) was aligned with the NDA or the Grand Alliance. His leadership was rarely questioned. This election, however, breaks that pattern. For the first time in nearly 20 years, there is genuine uncertainty over whether Nitish will remain chief minister even if the NDA returns to power — and notably, that doubt is coming not from the opposition, but from within the BJP-led alliance itself.The BJP and JD(U) have agreed to an equal seat-sharing formula this time, with both parties under the NDA set to contest 101 seats each.Bihar is set to vote in two phases on November 6 and 11, and counting scheduled for November 14.
