Fri Dec 20 15:30:59 UTC 2024: ## Bihar NDA Rejects Speculation of Nitish Kumar Leadership Change Ahead of 2025 Polls

**PATNA, INDIA** – The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar has emphatically dismissed speculation regarding Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s leadership role in the upcoming 2025 assembly elections. Following a meeting aimed at strengthening grassroots-level coordination, state presidents of the BJP, JD(U), and LJP (Ram Vilas) categorically reaffirmed their commitment to Kumar’s leadership.

The speculation arose after Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent ambiguous response to a question about whether the NDA would contest the Bihar elections without a declared chief ministerial candidate. Shah’s statement, “We will sit together and decide,” sparked concerns that the BJP might seek to replace Kumar, who has led the NDA in Bihar for nearly two decades.

However, Bihar BJP chief Dilip Jaiswal clarified that Shah’s remarks were merely a reflection of the BJP’s internal decision-making process. Jaiswal asserted that Nitish Kumar’s leadership is “a given” and that there is no question of a change. This sentiment was echoed by Raju Tiwari, state president of the LJP (RV), who confirmed that the NDA would contest under Kumar’s leadership.

JD(U) state president Umesh Singh Kushwaha expressed his delight, stating, “Do hazaar pachis phir se Nitish” (“Nitish again in 2025”), reflecting the party’s confidence in Kumar’s continued leadership. The JD(U) emphasized that they were focused on strengthening coordination within the alliance at all levels. The meeting served to quell any internal dissent and reaffirm the NDA’s united front for the 2025 elections.

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