Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar launched his campaign for a fifth consecutive term with a rally in Minapur constituency, Muzaffarpur district, where he expressed disillusionment with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and reaffirmed his commitment to the National Democratic Alliance.
Nitish Kumar Alliance History and Breakups
Nitish Kumar, who first defeated the RJD in alliance with BJP in 2005, recalled his subsequent partnerships with Lalu Prasad Yadav’s party in 2015 and 2022, both of which dissolved within two years.
“Because of circumstances, I had to tie up with those people, but it did not take me long to realise that they were good for nothing. Now I am back (in NDA) for good,” Kumar stated.
Attack on RJD’s Women’s Welfare Record
Without naming his detractors, Kumar criticized the RJD’s approach to women’s empowerment: “Did the ones in power do anything for women? They could not have cared less. Only when, after seven years of chief ministership, a situation came where stepping down could not have been avoided, the wife was installed.”
The reference alluded to Lalu Yadav’s 1990-1997 tenure as chief minister, after which his wife, previously a homemaker without political experience, assumed the position—a move that generated significant controversy at the time.
Women’s Empowerment Initiatives
Nitish Kumar highlighted his government’s focus on women’s welfare through large-scale self-help group formation and the recently launched Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana, which transferred Rs 10,000 to over one crore beneficiaries’ accounts.
He positioned these initiatives as contrasts to previous administrations’ records.
Law and Order Claims
The Chief Minister asserted that Bihar experienced “an atmosphere of terror” under previous governments due to poor law enforcement and alleged criminal patronage before his administration took charge.
“But now, it is for all to see how much things have changed. Even disputes between Hindus and Muslims have come down because we were sensitive to needs like fencing of religious places of both faiths,” Kumar said.
The rally marks the beginning of Kumar’s campaign as he seeks to extend his tenure, banking on development credentials and improved governance compared to predecessor regimes. Bihar’s assembly elections are scheduled in two phases next month.
