Talking to news agency PTI, Choudhary addressed speculations about a potential change in leadership within the NDA. He emphasised that the BJP is fully behind Kumar, who has led the NDA in Bihar since 1996. "Nitish Kumar was the leader yesterday, he is the leader today, and he will remain the leader tomorrow," said Choudhary, the former BJP state president.
Nishant Kumar’s possible political entry a "personal matter"
Regarding the potential political debut of Nitish Kumar’s son Nishant, who has stayed away from public life so far, Choudhary stressed that it remains a personal decision for Kumar and the JD(U), and the BJP would stand by whatever decision is made. "It is a personal decision of Nitish ji and an internal matter of the JD(U).Whatever they decide, the BJP will be with them as an alliance partner," he said.
He dismissed the challenge posed by Tejashwi Yadav, the principal rival from the RJD, calling him a "mere appointee" of his father, Lalu Prasad Yadav.
The Deputy CM further explained that while the BJP had criticised Nitish Kumar during the period when JD(U) was in the opposition, once the party returned to the NDA fold, the BJP has been fully supportive of the coalition. "Once in a coalition, the BJP stands 100 percent with its alliance partners," he said.
Nitish Kumar’s leadership aligned with PM Modi’s national vision
Choudhary also recalled Kumar’s acknowledgment of his rise to the chief minister's position with the support of late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and stated that Nitish’s leadership has been aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision at the national level. "At the national level, he is working under the leadership of Modi ji, and in Bihar, he is our leader," Choudhary asserted.
When asked about Chirag Paswan, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader and another NDA ally, Choudhary praised the young MP from Hajipur, describing him as "a tall leader who strengthens the coalition."
Looking ahead to the state elections, Choudhary expressed confidence that the NDA would secure "more than 200 seats" in Bihar’s 243-seat assembly, attributing this expected success to the development seen under the "double engine government" model, which refers to the BJP’s governance both at the national level and in Bihar.
Criticises Tejashwi Yadav, calls him "appointee of Lalu Prasad"
Choudhary was dismissive of Tejashwi Yadav, calling him "not a leader in his own right but merely an appointee of his father, Lalu Prasad." He further claimed, "I have always said Tejashwi is just a 'baua' (kid). The day Lalu ji decides to appoint someone else, nobody will care about Tejashwi."
The Deputy CM also highlighted the long-standing lawlessness during the 15 years of RJD rule in Bihar, saying that people still remember the violence and darkness of that period, including incidents where criminals would invade homes and murder residents. He mentioned the infamous theft during a wedding event of Lalu Prasad’s daughter.
Tejashwi’s populist promises full of contradictions
Choudhary ridiculed Tejashwi Yadav’s populist promises, pointing out the contradictions in his positions. "The RJD was in power when prohibition was imposed, but now they talk about offering relief to toddy tappers. The very domicile policy Tejashwi promises was scrapped when the RJD was in power," Choudhary remarked.
Referring to Tejashwi’s claims about his tenure as deputy CM, Choudhary dismissed them, stating, "Tejashwi boasts of achievements during his time as deputy CM, unaware that all real powers lie with the chief minister. His confidence comes from his father's party, but the elections will teach him that this is not a monarchy governed by a dynasty."
Choudhary made it clear that the BJP is committed to Nitish Kumar’s leadership and is confident of a strong showing in the upcoming elections, while dismissing Tejashwi Yadav’s challenge as a hollow political campaign.