Congress Leader Udit Raj Slams NDA Over Nitish Kumar, Compares Him to Eknath Shinde

Congress leader Udit Raj on Friday took a sharp dig at the ruling NDA in Bihar, criticizing the alliance for its indecision on naming a chief ministerial face for the 2025 assembly elections. Drawing a parallel between Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and former Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, Udit Raj claimed the BJP is sidelining the JD(U) chief.

“When repeatedly from the NDA side it was being asked whether Tejashwi Yadav would be the chief ministerial face or not, we showed it by doing it. Now you show—whether you will make Nitish Kumar CM or not, give a straight answer. Nitish Kumar ji has become Eknath Shinde. Bihar ka jo Eknath Shinde hai, woh Nitish Kumar ko kaha ja sakta hai. They have betrayed him, a conspiracy has been done against Nitish Kumar ji,” he said.

The remark references Maharashtra’s 2024 assembly election, where the Mahayuti alliance (BJP, Shiv Sena, NCP) won decisively. Eknath Shinde, initially expected to continue as CM, agreed to become deputy CM under BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis, following political negotiations.

Tejashwi Yadav Named INDIA Bloc CM Candidate
Meanwhile, the opposition INDIA bloc ended weeks of internal disputes by declaring RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial candidate. The announcement came from Congress troubleshooter Ashok Gehlot, who mediated tensions among allies including the RJD, Congress, and Vikassheel Insan Party (VIP).

Several candidates, including from Congress and VIP, withdrew from contests to avoid facing coalition partners, with the Congress identifying eight seats where it was contesting against RJD or CPI candidates.

At 35, Tejashwi could become Bihar’s youngest chief minister if the INDIA bloc comes to power. He thanked coalition partners for their trust and vowed to defeat what he called the “incompetent 20-year-old government”, labeling the NDA’s so-called double-engine model as driven by corruption and crime.

NDA Reacts
The NDA, hoping the opposition coalition would remain fragmented, expressed concern. Senior BJP leader and Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary criticized Tejashwi, calling him a “proclaimed offender”, and alleged that his nomination as CM candidate came under pressure from his father, RJD president Lalu Prasad, who “tortured” alliance partners to secure the decision.