Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inadvertently suggested that he wishes Prime Minister Narendra Modi would become a Chief Minister again during an election rally in Patna on Sunday. The incident occurred as Mr. Kumar was advocating for the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, expressing hopes for a sweeping victory.
“Humaari ichha hai ki hum deshbhar me 400 se bhi zyaada seat jeeta, aur adarniya Narendra Modi ji fir mukhya mantri bane. Desh ka vikas ho, Bihar ka vikas ho, sab kuch ho (We wish to win over 400 seats across India and respected Narendra Modi should become chief minister again. Then India will develop, Bihar will develop, everything will happen),” Kumar said, momentarily causing a stir amidst the rally with his statement.
His slip of tongue didn’t go unnoticed by his fellow leaders sharing the stage. However, Kumar was swift to correct himself as he clarified that he meant Narendra Modi should continue as the Prime Minister and keep progressing.
“Narendra Modi Pradhan Mantri toh hai hi. Hum toh keh rahe hai ki woh aage badhe. Hum yahi chahte hai (Narendra Modi is already the Prime Minister. I am saying that he will now move ahead. That is what I want),” the seventy-three year old CM clarified, regaining his composure.
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This comes in the wake of Mr. Kumar’s recent gaffe where he appealed for votes for the late Ram Vilas Paswan, a veteran leader from Bihar who passed away in 2020.
As the ongoing Lok Sabha elections unfold across seven phases, with results slated for June 4, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has assumed a central role in Bihar’s political landscape. Leading the charge for the NDA, the BJP is contesting 17 out of the state’s 40 seats, marking a departure from its traditional supportive stance towards Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United (JD-U).
The alliance dynamics in Bihar have witnessed a shift, with the BJP taking a more assertive role this time. Historically, the BJP and JD-U have maintained a strong alliance, sharing an equal number of seats in the 2019 elections. However, with recent resolutions of issues with Chirag Paswan’s faction of the Lok Janshakti Party, the BJP has emerged as a dominant force in Bihar’s electoral arena.
On the opposition front, the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) comprising the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, and Left parties, has declared its strategy, with the RJD set to contest 26 seats, positioning itself as a formidable contender in Bihar’s political landscape.
