Leaders of Opposition parties in Bihar on Thursday said Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s nomination to Rajya Sabha signalled a political shift in the state and the BJP’s growing dominance within the ruling alliance.
Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) national working president Tejashwi Yadav said the development was consistent with what his party had been warning about since Kumar broke away from the Mahagathbandhan in January 2024 and returned to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). He claimed that Kumar “would not have seen this day” if their parties were still together. He also thanked the Chief Minister for serving Bihar for 20 years.
Addressing reporters, Yadav claimed that the BJP had been planning to eventually push Kumar out of the Chief Minister’s post and described the current situation as the outcome of a “refined Maharashtra model” being implemented in Bihar.
“We had been saying from the beginning that after the elections, the BJP would not allow Nitish Kumar to remain Chief Minister for more than six months,” Yadav said, adding, “We had also said that the ‘Maharashtra model’ would be implemented in Bihar in a refined manner. Today, that is proving to be true.”
The RJD leader also said, “From the beginning, we have been saying that the BJP has completely hijacked Nitish Kumar. Today, that too stands proven.”
Yadav, who served as Deputy Chief Minister in the JD(U)-RJD Mahagathbandhan government, recalled the events of January 28, 2024, when Kumar left the alliance. He said, “At that time, too, there was no convincing reason why he left us. We had then said that the BJP would eventually finish the JD(U).”
“My complete sympathy is with Nitish Kumar for what is happening with him. If we had been there with him, perhaps he would not have had to see this day,” Yadav added.
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The RJD leader further said that during the elections, his party had refrained from personal criticism of the Chief Minister. “We even said during the campaign that Nitish Kumar had been made the groom and placed on the horse, but the wedding rituals would be performed with someone else,” he said.
He also criticised the conduct of elections, alleging that the ruling alliance had used “money power and machinery” to secure victory.
According to Yadav, the political developments were widely anticipated. “We had repeatedly said that the BJP weakens its allies. Look at what happened with parties like the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, the Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab or the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu,” he said.
Acknowledging Nitish Kumar’s work in Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav said, “For the 20 years, he served Bihar, we thank him and wish that he remains healthy and well.”
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Pappu Yadav: Nitish difficult to replace
Independent MP from Purnea, Pappu Yadav, also reacted to the development, saying it was difficult to imagine a replacement for Kumar in Bihar’s current political landscape. “I do not see anyone at present who can fill Nitish Kumar’s place,” he said.
Describing Kumar as a leader known for his modest and restrained style, he said the Chief Minister had approached governance with political maturity and concern for development.
Pappu Yadav also claimed that the move to Rajya Sabha did not appear to be entirely voluntary. “He could have become a Rajya Sabha member whenever he wanted. This seems like an excuse. I do not believe that the Tweet about his desire to go to Rajya Sabha would have been written by him,” he said.
He questioned the circumstances surrounding the decision. “What kind of pressure was there that everything changed in 24 hours?” he asked.
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Pappu Yadav said that if Kumar needed to step down from the Chief Minister’s responsibilities due to health reasons, moving to Rajya Sabha was not the only option. He also suggested that the next chief minister should come from the JD(U).
In a separate post on social media earlier, he urged NDA allies to support Nishant Kumar, Nitish Kumar’s son, to take over as chief minister in order to prevent the BJP from consolidating control in Bihar.
Meanwhile, RJD MP Sudhakar Singh struck a more reflective tone, acknowledging his political disagreements with Kumar but expressing personal regard for the veteran leader.
“On issues related to Bihar’s development, I have always had differences with Nitish Kumar and have openly opposed several of his policies,” Singh said. “But despite political disagreements, I have always had personal respect for him.”
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Recalling earlier interactions, Singh said that when he had stayed in Delhi in the past, Kumar had acted as a “local guardian” for him.
Singh suggested that the move to Rajya Sabha might not be entirely a matter of personal choice. “Anyone who closely observes Bihar’s politics understands that what is happening today is not only about individual desire but also involves pressure from certain quarters,” he said.
Even so, Singh extended his best wishes to Kumar for his new role, adding that “time ultimately records every political decision and history delivers its own judgement”.
Former chief minister Lalu Yadav’s daughter Rohini Acharya also criticised the development through a series of posts on social media, accusing the BJP of orchestrating Kumar’s exit from the Chief Minister’s position through what she described as “Operation Lotus”.
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Meanwhile, Mahagathbandhan ally I P Gupta described the day as a turning point in Bihar’s politics.
“Today’s date will be remembered in Bihar,” he said, calling the development a “smooth transition of power from JD(U) to BJP” and referring to it as “the fall of a great leader of Bihar”.
“Thank you, Nitish ji, for all you did for Bihar. The people of Bihar, including me, will remember you,” he said.
