With the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) heading for a historic victory in Bihar, buzz has gained momentum over the future of incumbent Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The veteran Janata Dal United (JDU) leader's ailing health has been a concern for the ruling alliance, but the party seems confident that he will continue to occupy the top post.
In a now-deleted post on X (which was formerly called Twitter), the JDU said Nitish "was, is, and will remain" the chief minister. "Unprecedented and unmatched. Nitish Kumar was, is, and will remain the Chief Minister of Bihar," it posted.
However, the post was deleted minutes later, sparking a buzz over his political future.
NDA leaders back Nitish Kumar to remain CM
Several NDA leaders, including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ram Kripal Yadav has backed Nitish to remain the chief minister. Speaking to news agency ANI, he said the results are outcomes of the irresponsible statements made by the Mahagathbandhan leaders.
"The people of Bihar have given the NDA a bumper mandate. PM Modi and Nitish Kumar’s efforts are now clearly visible. Bihar’s Chief Minister is Nitish Kumar and will always be," he said.
Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) MP Shambhavi Chaudhary also said that Nitish will continue to occupy the top spot. "There is no doubt that Nitish Kumar is going to become the Chief Minister again. He will take a grand oath and we will deliver the promises we made to the people of Bihar during the elections," she told ANI.
Jitan Ram Manjhi, a Union Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) leader, also confirmed that Nitish will remain the CM. "This is not unexpected. We were saying from the beginning that NDA will form the Government with a thumping majority and Nitish Kumar will be the CM," he told ANI.
NDA's landslide victory
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), the NDA is set for a landslide victory. By the time this copy was filed, the BJP had won five seats and was leading on 86. The JDU had won six seats and was leading on 77. The LJP-RV, the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) were leading on 19, five and four seats, respectively.
Assembly elections were held in two phases in Bihar - November 6 and 11. According to the ECI, Bihar witnessed an unprecedented voter turnout of 66.91 per cent this year, which was the highest in its history since 1951.
