NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may have stormed to a decisive victory in Bihar, but its thumping win has immediately triggered a complex dilemma: should Nitish Kumar continue as the Chief Minister for a record tenth term, or should the BJP finally assert leadership in the state?
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) routed the Mahagathbandhan (MGB), reducing the once-formidable RJD-led coalition to a distant third with just 35 seats. The RJD, which had secured 75 seats in the 2020 Assembly polls, collapsed to 25 this time—a symbolic blow that has reshaped the post-poll political landscape in Patna. But even as celebrations erupted across NDA ranks, the central question that now dominates state politics is: who will lead the next government?
So far, the BJP has refrained from revealing its hand. A senior member of the party’s central strategy group reiterated the official line that the new Chief Minister will be chosen by the freshly elected NDA MLAs.
But this ambiguity masks a deep internal divide. Leaders close to Union Home Minister Amit Shah are said to be strongly lobbying for a full-fledged BJP Chief Minister, arguing that the party’s sweeping mandate has earned it the legitimate right to lead, with the Janata Dal (United) playing second fiddle.
The JDU, however, has reacted sharply to these hints of power recalibration. Party MLC and Nitish confidant Neeraj Kumar openly dismissed speculation of a BJP-led government, asserting that “the people of Bihar have given a mandate under the leadership of Nitish ji. He will lead the new government, as he has done for the past nine terms.”
Within the JDU, the mood is assertive and uncompromising. A newly elected JDU MLA emphasized that the party’s organisational spread and voter base in rural Bihar remains stronger than the BJP’s, insisting there is “no question of bargaining” over the Chief Minister’s post. He added that the new government must honour every promise made to the people.
Complicating matters further are murmurs from inside the BJP that Nitish Kumar may be retained as a “guiding force” but not as the functional head of the government, especially amid concerns about his fragile health. According to insiders, an “amicable formula” is being explored to balance political stability with leadership transition.
As newly elected NDA legislators gather at 1, Anne Marg—Nitish Kumar’s official residence—the power tussle is expected to intensify. The NDA has won Bihar with clarity; choosing its next leader, however, may prove far messier.
