Bihar polls: Chirag Paswan backs Nitish Kumar as NDA's CM face; clarifies Amit Shah's remark

NEW DELHI: Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan on Tuesday endorsed Nitish Kumar as the NDA's chief ministerial face for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections and offered clarification on Union minister Amit Shah's recent "MLAs will decide" remark.

"How many times does it need to be said that chief minister Nitish Kumar is the NDA's face," Paswan told reporters in Delhi, adding that "the coalition is contesting the polls under Nitish’s leadership."


"Chief minister Nitish Kumar is leading the elections, and as the Home Minister has already said, MLAs will come and MLAs will elect — that’s the normal democratic process," the Hajipur MP said.

"When people cite Rajasthan’s or Madhya Pradesh's example, they forget that in there, one party was contesting and had already declared its CM face," he added.



Paswan’s remarks came days after Amit Shah clarified that while the NDA is contesting under Nitish Kumar’s leadership, the decision on who will be chief minister will be taken after the elections by the elected legislators.

"Who am I to say so? Yes, we are contesting the polls under Nitish Kumar’s leadership. After the elections, NDA legislators will decide who will be CM," Shah had said, sparking speculation that the BJP might be keeping its options open.

The LJP (Ram Vilas) chief also took aim at the Opposition’s INDIA bloc for declaring RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial candidate.

"By mistake, and under pressure from his party, he has been named CM candidate — and he’s behaving as if he’s already the CM," the Union minister said.

"Rahul Gandhi avoided doing this because he knows that as soon as Tejashwi is projected, people will start recalling the jungle raj and recoil in fear," he added.

He further accused the RJD of coercing its allies, claiming that promises like the deputy CM post to Vikassheel Insaan Party leader Mukesh Sahni were politically motivated. "And what do they hope to gain by promising Mukesh Sahni the Deputy CM's post? The way he has been coerced into submission by the RJD is not lost on his Nishad community."

Within the NDA, leaders continue to praise Nitish Kumar’s administrative record, though there is genuine uncertainty over whether Nitish will remain CM.

Since 2005, Nitish has led every Bihar election, whether with the NDA or the Mahagathbandhan — but this time, questions persist about whether he will continue if the alliance returns to power.

The BJP and JD(U) have agreed to contest 101 seats each under an equal seat-sharing formula. Bihar will vote in two phases on November 6 and 11, with results to be declared on November 14.
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