NDA to contest Bihar Assembly polls under leadership of CM Nitish Kumar: State BJP chief

Patna, Dec 23 Bihar BJP President Dilip Jaiswal has clarified that the NDA will contest elections under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for the Assembly elections scheduled to be held next year.

With this decision, the BJP has put an end to recent speculations about a potential change in leadership. This decision reiterated during the Bihar BJP's two-day core committee meeting held in Suraj Kund, Haryana, underscores the coalition's commitment to its current leadership framework.

"Nitish Kumar at the state level and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the national level will remain the faces of the NDA campaign. We will contest the 2025 Assembly election in Bihar under the leadership of Nitish Kumar," Jaiswal said.

Union Minister Giriraj Singh, Bihar Environment and Forest Minister Prem Kumar, and other NDA leaders, including Hindustani Awam Morcha leader Jitan Ram Manjhi, have unequivocally backed Nitish Kumar as the Chief Ministerial face for the upcoming polls.

This collective support from all five alliance partners ensures clarity and unity within the NDA, countering any confusion created by earlier statements from BJP leaders, including Union Minister Amit Shah's cryptic remarks.

Amit Shah's earlier comments about deciding on a CM candidate had sparked speculation about the BJP potentially reconsidering Nitish Kumar's leadership.

The latest announcements, made after a two-day BJP core committee meeting attended by top leaders such as B.L.Santhosh and Vinod Tawde, have decisively ended this uncertainty.

The BJP and its alliance partners have outlined a development-centric campaign.

Nitish Kumar's governance record, combined with the achievements of the Central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will be emphasised.

The NDA leaders have planned to coordinate activities among alliance partners to ensure seamless communication of their collective vision for Bihar's progress.

The BJP's detailed discussions on organisational matters and Assembly poll strategy during its core committee meeting reflect a proactive approach to election preparedness.

The BJP leaders have planned for a state board meeting in January.

A joint NDA workers' meeting will start from January 15 onwards to boost coordination among alliance members and efforts to take the combined achievements of the state and Central governments directly to voters.

The reaffirmation of Nitish Kumar's leadership underlines the NDA's strategy to maintain political stability and focus on development as a unifying theme.

The joint programmes and coordinated outreach efforts signal a robust campaign machinery aimed at leveraging both Nitish Kumar's regional appeal and the BJP's national narrative.