Patna, Nov 1 — Ahead of the Bihar Assembly Elections, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar released a heartfelt video message, crediting the people of the state for allowing him to serve continuously since 2005 and lauding the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for Bihar’s progress.
“When we took office, being called a Bihari was considered an insult. Today, it is a matter of pride,” Kumar said, underscoring his government’s inclusive development agenda. “Be it Hindus, Muslims, upper castes, backward castes, extremely backward castes, Dalits, or Mahadalits work has been done for everyone. I did nothing for my family, only for the people,” he added.
Highlighting the synergy between state and central governments, the JD(U) leader remarked, “With NDA governments at both the Centre and the state, the pace of development has accelerated significantly.”
The message came a day after the NDA released its poll manifesto in Patna. Nitish Kumar, the alliance’s chief ministerial face, made headlines after exiting the event within seconds of its launch, sparking speculation about internal discord within the coalition.
The brief manifesto unveiling lasting reportedly only 26 seconds saw top NDA leaders, including BJP national president JP Nadda, Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Jitan Ram Manjhi, and Chirag Paswan, on stage alongside Kumar and Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary. While most leaders left immediately after the event, Choudhary stayed back to address the media.
An announcement from the dais later clarified that the leaders had to leave for other poll related engagements.
Meanwhile, the Congress questioned Nitish Kumar’s silence at the manifesto launch, asking why the NDA’s CM face did not address the public on such a crucial occasion.
Kumar’s video message, however, sought to reaffirm his commitment to Bihar’s progress and unity, emphasizing pride in the state’s transformation under his leadership.