The political heat in Bihar is rising and Congress leader Udit Raj has just added fuel to the fire. Taking a swipe at the ruling NDA, he questioned why the alliance was still hesitant to declare its chief ministerial face for the 2025 assembly elections. In a remark that has quickly gone viral, Raj compared Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to Maharashtra&rsquo;s Eknath Shinde, hinting that the BJP is quietly sidelining its long-time ally.
&ldquo;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,&rdquo; Raj said, adding sharply, &ldquo;Give a straight answer that you will make him Eknath Shinde; Nitish Kumar ji has become Eknath Shinde. So, 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.&rdquo;
The jibe comes at a time when the opposition INDIA bloc seems to have finally found its rhythm. After weeks of bickering and &ldquo;friendly fights&rdquo; over seat-sharing, RJD&rsquo;s Tejashwi Yadav has officially been declared the coalition&rsquo;s chief ministerial face. The announcement was made by senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, who managed to ease tensions within the bloc, which includes the RJD, Congress, Left, and VIP parties.
At 35, Tejashwi could become Bihar&rsquo;s youngest chief minister if the alliance wrests power from the NDA. &ldquo;This so-called double-engine government has one engine of corruption and another of crime,&rdquo; Yadav declared, vowing to end what he called two decades of &ldquo;incompetent governance.&rdquo;
Meanwhile, the NDA appears rattled. Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary hit back, alleging that Yadav, &ldquo;a proclaimed offender,&rdquo; was imposed as CM candidate under pressure from his father, RJD chief Lalu Prasad. But the sharpest blow of the day belonged to Udit Raj,&nbsp; whose &ldquo;Eknath Shinde of Bihar&rdquo; remark has now turned into the latest political catchphrase in Patna&rsquo;s power circles.

Bihar’s ‘Eknath Shinde’? Udit Raj Targets NDA

Udit Raj mocks NDA’s silence on CM face, says Nitish Kumar is Bihar’s Eknath Shinde

Bihar’s ‘Eknath Shinde’? Udit Raj Targets NDA

Udit Raj mocks NDA’s silence on CM face, says Nitish Kumar is Bihar’s Eknath Shinde

October 24, 2025 | 14:22 IST