Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar aimed his criticisms at Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and his former deputy, Tejashwi Yadav, by referencing his father, former chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, during an assembly debate on Tuesday.
“What did Bihar have before? It was I who elevated your () father to his position. Even individuals from your community questioned me about my support for him, yet I continued to back him,” the chief minister responded forcefully to Yadav when he interjected during his address in the assembly, as reported by NDTV.
Projected Budget of ₹3,16,895.02 crore
Nitish Kumar began to outline the developmental initiatives undertaken by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in the state. This confrontation occurred a day after Tejashwi Yadav criticized the budget put forth by the Nitish Kumar administration.
On March 3, the Bihar government presented an estimated budget of ₹3,16,895.02 crore in the Assembly for the financial year 2025-26. This figure is an increase of ₹38,169.30 crore compared to the previous budget of ₹2,78,725.72 crore. This marks the final budget of the Nitish Kumar-led government, as elections are expected later this year.
The exchange of rhetoric unfolded amidst an uproar from the opposition in the assembly. “You know nothing. When Lalu Yadav was against the separation of Extremely Backward Classes in Bihar, I voiced my disapproval and stood against him at that time,” the chief minister asserted.
JD-U chief Nitish Kumar broke ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2013, only to rejoin four years later after sharing power with the RJD from 2015 to 2017. In 2022, he once again aligned with the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan, with Tejashwi serving as his deputy chief minister. However, Nitish Kumar switched back to the NDA last year.
Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar emerged in the political arena of India approximately five decades ago during the socialist movement launched by . Since that time, they have alternately allied and clashed in Bihar’s political landscape.
Earlier in the assembly, Tejashwi compared the former government in Bihar, led by his father and former chief minister, and criticized the administration headed by his former ally, Nitish Kumar.
