JD(U) shares 'Nitish Kumar will remain CM' post, then deletes
What's the story
A now-deleted post by the Janata Dal (United) on social media platform X has sparked speculation about Nitish Kumar's future as chief minister of Bihar. The post had declared Kumar as the CM, saying, "Unprecedented and unmatched. Nitish Kumar was, is, and will remain the Chief Minister of Bihar." However, it was deleted minutes later. This comes as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) looks at a clean sweep in the 2025 assembly elections.
Election results
NDA's victory and JD(U)'s performance in Bihar elections
The NDA has crossed the 200-seat mark in the 243-member Bihar Assembly, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerging as the single largest party. The Rashtriya Janata Dal-led Mahagathbandhan is trailing with only 36 seats. Despite being written off by many, Kumar's JD(U) also performed well but did not match the BJP's seat count. This has led to speculation that the BJP may consider placing one of its leaders in charge, similar to its move in Maharashtra.
Political dynamics
BJP's strategy
In 2024, the BJP contested the Maharashtra election with Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena. However, BJP's Devendra Fadnavis won the top job after the saffron party's strong performance. In Bihar too, there have been rumors that BJP's Samrat Chaudhary, the deputy chief minister, might be considered for the top job. According to ECI data, the BJP is ahead in most of the seats (96), followed by the JD(U) with 83.
Election fallout
Congress's poor performance and Rahul Gandhi's campaign flop
The Congress has once again performed poorly in Bihar, leading in just two seats out of the 61 it contested. This is a setback for party leader Rahul Gandhi, who had campaigned extensively in the state, banking on vote chori allegations. Gandhi led a 16-day Voter Adhikar Yatra through 23 districts, exposing what he called 'vote chori' and accusing the Election Commission of colluding with the BJP to secure the saffron party's victory in several states.