Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday said he had joined hands with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) “because of circumstances,” but realised soon after that the alliance was not effective.
Speaking at his first election rally in the Minapur constituency, Kumar said, “I had to tie up with them because of circumstances, but it did not take me long to realise that they were good for nothing. Now I am back with the NDA for good.”
The Janata Dal (United) leader also targeted RJD chief Lalu Prasad, accusing him of neglecting women’s welfare during his tenure. Kumar recalled that Lalu Prasad had installed his wife Rabri Devi as chief minister when he faced legal trouble over the fodder scam.
Highlighting his government’s initiatives, Kumar said that the “Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana” had already benefited over one crore women, with ₹10,000 transferred to each beneficiary’s account. He said his government had prioritised women’s empowerment, unlike the previous RJD regime.
The chief minister further alleged that Bihar had witnessed an “atmosphere of terror” under earlier governments, with rising crime and lack of law and order. “Our government has changed that. We have worked to ensure peace and development,” he added.
Nitish Kumar reaffirmed that he would remain with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and ruled out any possibility of returning to the RJD camp.
Kumar has had a long and complex relationship with Lalu Prasad’s party. After defeating the RJD in 2005 with the BJP’s support, he twice joined hands with the RJD — in 2015 and again in 2022 — but both alliances collapsed within two years.
The RJD, now led by Lalu Prasad and his son Tejashwi Yadav, currently sits in opposition in Bihar.