PATNA: Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday affirmed that JD(U) president Nitish Kumar would become chief minister again after upcoming assembly elections in Bihar. Assembly elections in the state are due in October-November.
Kick-starting the election campaign for NDA from Gopalganj, Shah said that Bihar would develop under joint leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Nitish Kumar.
“Bihar mein Nitish-Modi ki jodi vikas ki gati ko aage le jayegi (Nitish-Modi leadership will take Bihar on a high scale of development), he asserted.
Shah’s remarks assumed significance in the wake of JD(U)’s demand to declare Nitish as CM face of NDA for the upcoming assembly elections. Nitish’s son Nishant Kumar had also made a similar demand from top leadership of BJP.
Shah’s statement has ended the suspension over Nitish becoming the NDA’s CM face in the ensuing election.
Shah also announced on the occasion that a grand temple of Goddess Sita would be built in Sitamarhi, known as birthplace of the Hindu deity.
He alleged that both RJD chief Lalu Prasad and Congress leader Sonia Gandh destroyed Bihar. On the other hand, Bihar has been developing under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar.
Coming down heavily on the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad, union home minister said that the period from 1990 to 2005 would always be known as ‘jungle raj’. He alleged that several scams, including fodder scam and bitumen scam took place during RJD rule in Bihar.
“These scams brought a bad name for Bihar. The 15-year RJD rule in Bihar will always be known for corruption, lawlessness and mass killings. If NDA is voted to power in the ensuing assembly elections, all sugar factories will be made operational,” Shah told the gathering.
Accusing Lalu of promoting his family instead of taking the state’s development forward, Shah alleged that both RJD and Congress did nothing for the development of Bihar.
"What did Lalu do for Bihar when he was a minister at the centre. He should give details of works undertaken for Bihar’s development during his tenure as minister,” he asserted.
He said that Bihar has to decide ahead of the assembly polls later this year if it wants a ‘jungle raj’ or a government led by PM Modi and Bihar CM Nitish that focuses on development.
Highlighting PM Modi’s government for taking the country forward, Shah said that what Congress could not do in 65 years, PM Modi did just in 10 years.
He claimed that the NDA government at the centre would make Bihar flood-free within five years.
At an event organised by the state’s cooperative department in Patna, union minister appealed to people to vote for NDA in the 2025 assembly elections to take Bihar under leadership of Nitish Kumar and Narendra Modi.
“Give the union government an opportunity to change (the fate of) Bihar,” he added.
He, however, did not forget to mention about the role of Nitish in changing the face of Bihar.
Speaking on the occasion, Nitish reiterated his resolve not to change sides again. “I will not repeat the same mistake that I did twice by joining hands with RJD,” he told the gathering in the presence of Amit Shah.
Nitish also exuded confidence that NDA would return to power in Bihar after 2025 assembly elections.