Nitish NDA’s face in state, says JD(U) | Patna News – Times of India
Patna: Amid the ongoing debate over who will lead the NDA’s campaign for the 2025 Bihar assembly polls, the JD(U) on Saturday strongly backed chief minister Nitish Kumar as the alliance’s leader. However, state BJP president Dilip Jaiswal said a final decision would ultimately be taken by the saffron party’s central leadership. The NDA has set an ambitious target of winning 225 out of the state’s 243 assembly seats in the upcoming elections.
JD(U) national working president and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kumar Jha dismissed any speculation about differences within the alliance. “The elections will be fought under Nitish Kumar’s leadership,” Jha told reporters. “There is no debate anywhere over this issue,” he added.
Jha’s remarks came shortly after BJP state chief Jaiswal, speaking to reporters here, said that the decision on leadership rests with the party’s central leadership. “Hamlog toh chhote kad wale log hain. Ye sab to kendriya netritva ki baat hai (We don’t have the political stature to decide such major issues. This is for the central leadership to decide),” Jaiswal said before leaving for New Delhi to participate in the party’s core committee meeting. However, he was quick to acknowledge Nitish’s prominence, saying, “Nitishji ka toh chehra hai hi (Nitishji is indeed the face).”
Interestingly, Jaiswal’s latest remarks came in contrast to his statements a day earlier when he unequivocally told reporters that the 2025 assembly elections would be fought under Nitish’s leadership. He made those comments after a meeting of state NDA netas to prepare for the alliance’s workers’ conference, scheduled to begin on Dec 15 in Bagaha as a precursor to next year’s polls.
The leadership question gained further traction following Union home minister Amit Shah’s recent comments at a Delhi event. Shah avoided directly addressing whether Nitish would remain the NDA’s face for the elections or if the BJP might adopt the “Maharashtra formula”, where a BJP leader took charge. When asked by a reporter, Shah had said, “Policy decisions are not announced at such forums. We will sit together and decide the issue. Once we take a decision, we will let you know.”
JD(U) national working president and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kumar Jha dismissed any speculation about differences within the alliance. “The elections will be fought under Nitish Kumar’s leadership,” Jha told reporters. “There is no debate anywhere over this issue,” he added.
Jha’s remarks came shortly after BJP state chief Jaiswal, speaking to reporters here, said that the decision on leadership rests with the party’s central leadership. “Hamlog toh chhote kad wale log hain. Ye sab to kendriya netritva ki baat hai (We don’t have the political stature to decide such major issues. This is for the central leadership to decide),” Jaiswal said before leaving for New Delhi to participate in the party’s core committee meeting. However, he was quick to acknowledge Nitish’s prominence, saying, “Nitishji ka toh chehra hai hi (Nitishji is indeed the face).”
Interestingly, Jaiswal’s latest remarks came in contrast to his statements a day earlier when he unequivocally told reporters that the 2025 assembly elections would be fought under Nitish’s leadership. He made those comments after a meeting of state NDA netas to prepare for the alliance’s workers’ conference, scheduled to begin on Dec 15 in Bagaha as a precursor to next year’s polls.
The leadership question gained further traction following Union home minister Amit Shah’s recent comments at a Delhi event. Shah avoided directly addressing whether Nitish would remain the NDA’s face for the elections or if the BJP might adopt the “Maharashtra formula”, where a BJP leader took charge. When asked by a reporter, Shah had said, “Policy decisions are not announced at such forums. We will sit together and decide the issue. Once we take a decision, we will let you know.”
