By – Prakarsh Kasrtwar
In Bihar, a new wave called Prashant Kishore is sweeping the state. A new political aspect in Bihar may emerge when several prominent leaders of existing parties such as the Bharatiya Janata Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, and Janata Dal United leave their own parties to join him.
Nitish Kumar will represent the JDU-BJP alliance in the 2025 Bihar assembly elections. The JDU national executive meeting unanimously determined that the party would contest the elections under Nitish Kumar’s leadership. Nitish Kumar’s nearly two-decade-long labor in Bihar, as well as his pledge to provide clean administration, will be the party’s most powerful election weapon.
No threat from the BJP.
Samrat Chaudhary, former Bihar BJP president, removed his ‘Muraitha’ (turban name in Bihar’s indigenous language) without ousting Nitish Kumar from office. It is thought that the BJP has abandoned its plans to stand alone in the state for the time being. Chaudhary has promised to remove this Muraitha only once Nitish Kumar was removed from the position of Bihar Chief Minister. However, Samrat was ordered by the central leadership to float his turban in the river. In exchange, the BJP received unequivocal JDU support at the national level, and Samrat was forced to accept his role as Nitish Kumar’s ally. That suggests that Nitish Kumar is not now under threat from the BJP.
Challenge of Tejashwi Yadav
But Nitish Kumar’s strongest challenge will come from Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, who almost lost out on an absolute majority in the last election owing to a last-minute misunderstanding among voters. Tejashwi Yadav is still gaining popularity among Bihar’s youth in the name of government jobs, and it is expected that in the next election, he would offer a serious challenge to Nitish Kumar.
Nitish Kumar’s extended tenure may be perceived as a ‘tiring’ face for the NDA alliance by the public, whilst Tejashwi Yadav’s youthful energy may provide a difficult challenge for him. Bihar’s caste equation remains divided, but with Tejashwi attempting to get support from other castes, particularly Bhumihars, Nitish Kumar’s calculations may be off.
Prashant Kishor Factor
There is a new wave in Bihar called Prashant Kishor. A new political aspect in Bihar may emerge as a result of several prominent leaders of established parties like as the Bharatiya Janata Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, and Janata Dal United defecting to him. The crowds that are assembling at Prashant Kishor’s public meetings will also increase the enthusiasm of Jansuraj Party supporters. He appears to be rising as a new hope for the youth. This may disrupt the equation of all parties. A
A significant challenge to prove.
Political analyst Sunil Pandey told Amar Ujala that, despite all of the reasons, Janata Dal United has decided to stick with its tried-and-true strategy. The primary reason for this is Nitish Kumar’s control over the party and the administration; it also demonstrates the party and alliance’s undue reliance on Nitish and a lack of alternatives. He faces a significant hurdle in proving himself in front of the fresh faces, Prashant Kishore and Tejashwi Yadav. However, it will be intriguing to watch if Nitish Kumar can lead the NDA to victory in this round as well.