New Delhi: Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, known as the BJP’s Chanakya who played a crucial role in the party’s impressive show in Bihar, has set to rest speculation on the next chief minister of the state.
Questions have been raised on whether Nitish Kumar will return as Bihar’s chief minister due to two reasons. One of these is the emergence of the BJP as the single largest party in the Bihar Assembly. The second is Nitish’s rather erratic behaviour over the last few months that has made people wonder whether he is healthy enough to handle the job for the fifth term.
While speaking to Jansatta, Dharmendra clarified the party’s stance, saying the NDA is solid and Nitish is still the biggest leader in the alliance. When asked whether Nitish will take the CM oath again, Dharmendra said the NDA will form the government, and it will be the chief minister who decides who becomes a minister and who doesn’t.
When pressed on whether the BJP should now put forward its own chief minister face, especially after such a strong performance, Dharmendra said there should be no confusion on this matter. The Prime Minister has himself called it an “NDA victory, not a BJP-only win”, he reminded. The campaign, he added, was run on the combined strength of the Modi-Nitish alliance.
In Dharmendra’s words, there is nothing happening behind shut doors to oust Nitish. In other words, Nitish’s position is secure. If he wants to remain chief minister, he will. And if he prefers to name someone else, he may do so.
After the counting ended, BJP stood at 89 seats, four more than the JD(U). The LJP-RV won 19 seats while HAM secured 5. The RLSP bagged 4 seats.
In the same interview, Dharmendra said that the victory has boosted the party’s confidence, especially in terms of the political battles ahead. He mentioned that the Prime Minister has already given the clarion call for the BJP to build up steam for the West Bengal elections that are due in 2026 and also focus on Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Assam.
The NDA won 202 out of 243 seats in Bihar. It was a poor showing by the RJD that managed just 25 seats as compared to 75 in 2020. Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party had promised a lot but drew a naught. The Congress also managed just 6 seats as compared to 19 in 2020.