NEW DELHI: With the nomination process for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections concluding on Friday, cracks within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) came sharply into focus after senior Janata Dal (United) leader and MLC Neeraj Kumar, a close confidant of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, openly criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The row erupted following Shah’s televised remark that the next Chief Minister of Bihar would be chosen by the newly elected NDA legislators, rather than being pre-declared.
The statement, widely seen as a signal that the BJP might be considering alternatives to Nitish Kumar, triggered immediate backlash from JDU leaders. Neeraj Kumar hit back, asserting that Nitish Kumar remains the undisputed leader of the NDA in Bihar and will continue as Chief Minister even after the 2025 elections. His sharp response underscored the growing unease between the two allies over leadership and seat distribution.
Political observers were taken aback by the timing of Amit Shah’s statement, coming just as seat-sharing negotiations within the NDA had already caused tensions.
Many felt that Shah’s words had “added fuel to the fire” in an already volatile alliance. Sources within the JDU described the statement as “unnecessary and provocative,” especially at a time when Nitish Kumar’s party is reportedly unhappy with the BJP’s overt support to Union Minister Chirag Paswan and his Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas).
The JDU believes that the BJP is extending undue patronage to Chirag Paswan by offering him seats in regions traditionally considered the JDU’s strongholds. The suspicion within the JDU ranks is that the BJP might be attempting to promote Chirag Paswan as a future Dalit face in Bihar politics—possibly even as a Chief Ministerial candidate—to broaden its social base.
Observers note that Chirag Paswan, who represents the dominant Dalit group in Bihar, could help the BJP consolidate the Scheduled Caste vote share, which stands at around 19 percent, second only to the Ravidass community.
By projecting a young Dalit leader, the BJP could be seeking to reshape the caste equation in the state, where Nitish Kumar’s appeal has largely rested on his social engineering model combining Extremely Backward Castes (EBCs), women, and minorities.
Meanwhile, the Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has seized on the controversy. Senior RJD leader Shivanand Tiwari described Amit Shah’s remarks as “an insult to important NDA allies both at the Centre and in Bihar,” arguing that it exposed the BJP’s ambition to dominate its partners. He said the comments have not only undermined Nitish Kumar’s stature but also revealed fault lines within the ruling alliance ahead of a crucial election.
As Bihar heads toward polling in two phases on November 6 and 11, the NDA’s internal disquiet appears to have given a new opening to the Opposition. For now, both BJP and JDU leaders are trying to downplay the rift, but the question over Nitish Kumar’s continuation as Chief Minister has undeniably become a major talking point in Bihar’s political circles.
(Writer is Senior Journalist and Political Commentator)
