Who Will Be The Next Bihar CM If NDA Wins?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had publicly endorsed Nitish Kumar as the NDA’s chief ministerial face, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah said he will lead NDA's election campaign.
The NDA is emerging as the Bihar Assembly election winner, with early trends showing a lead on 189 seats, and the opposition's Mahagathbandhan trailing far behind at 43 seats, as per the Election Commission data. As NDA seems to be heading toward a landslide victory, one question arises again-- 'Who will be the next Bihar CM?'
After nearly two decades at the helm of Bihar’s politics, the state’s longest-serving Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar, is fighting what many see as his toughest battle yet, not just against his opponents, but also due to the speculation about his political future. Concerns over Nitish Kumar’s health and his waning appeal have given rise to whispers within political circles about whether this could be his final act in electoral politics.
The uncertainty has only deepened following a series of statements from BJP leaders and allies that have set off a storm of interpretations.
Amit Shah’s Comment Sparks Controversy
The political tremors began after Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks during a televised interview, where he said, “Nitish will lead our election campaign. The elected MLAs of the coalition partners will first elect their respective party leaders, who will then sit together and decide as to who will head the next government.”
Opposition parties quickly seized on the statement, claiming it signalled the BJP’s unwillingness to project Nitish Kumar as the NDA’s chief ministerial candidate. The Congress was among the first to react, posting a video on X with the caption, “Nitish nahi banenge CM, Amit Shah ne kar diya clear (Nitish will not be the CM, BJP has made it clear).”
BJP Counters Oppn's 'Twisted' Narrative
The BJP swiftly hit back, sharing the full clip of Shah’s remarks and accusing rivals of spreading misinformation. “Those who are distorting Shah’s statement are misleading the people of the country and Bihar only to serve their own political interests. This video is a tight slap in their face,” the party wrote in its social media rebuttal.
Chirag Paswan, Union Minister and a key NDA ally, also intervened to clarify the coalition’s stance. “Amit Shah referred to the normal process of choosing the Chief Minister after the election. Our alliance of five parties will have the MLAs who win select their leader. The process must be respected,” he said.
PM Modi backs Nitish as NDA’s CM face
Amid these speculations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly endorsed Nitish Kumar as the NDA’s chief ministerial face. Addressing his first election rally in the state, the Prime Minister lauded Nitish’s leadership and predicted a record-breaking win for the alliance.
“He came to power in 2005, but nearly a decade of his tenure was hampered by a hostile Congress-led UPA government at the Centre, which was constantly blackmailed by the RJD,” Modi said. “This time, under the leadership of Nitish Kumar, NDA will break all its previous records of victory. Bihar will give NDA its biggest ever mandate.”
However, that endorsement has not stopped opposition leaders from insisting that the BJP will replace Nitish once the votes are in. RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav has repeatedly claimed that the saffron party no longer intends to let Nitish retain the top post.
Allies Call For Clarity Within NDA
Within the NDA itself, voices are emerging for greater internal transparency. Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) leader and Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi echoed Amit Shah’s earlier comment, urging the alliance to formally name its CM candidate before the polls to avoid confusion.
“It’s because of a lack of clarity and cohesion among the INDIA bloc partners that they failed to reach a seat-sharing agreement,” Manjhi said, adding that “everything is well in the NDA except for an incident that saw the chief minister getting angry” when seat allocations briefly went off track.
Rashtriya Lokmanch (RLM) president Upendra Kushwaha attempted to settle the matter, confirming that Nitish Kumar remains the coalition’s undisputed face. “Nitish Kumar ji is our CM face. The elections in Bihar are being contested under his leadership, and the government will take oath under his leadership,” Kushwaha told ANI.
Prashant Kishor Forecasts Major Setback
Outside the coalition, political strategist-turned-activist Prashant Kishor remains skeptical. The Jan Suraaj founder has repeatedly declared that Nitish Kumar will not return as chief minister, predicting a steep decline for the JD(U).
Kishor claims the party may struggle to win even 25 of the 243 assembly seats, arguing that Nitish is “physically tired, mentally retired,” and no longer capable of governing effectively.
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