The Bharatiya Janata Party&rsquo;s (BJP) reluctance to explicitly project Nitish Kumar as its Chief Ministerial face for the forthcoming Bihar Assembly elections has triggered fresh waves of political speculation in state and national circles.
During an election rally in Samastipur on 24 October, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared in his 45-minute address: &ldquo;This time too, under Nitish Babu&rsquo;s leadership, the NDA will surpass all previous records of victory. Bihar will deliver its biggest mandate ever.&rdquo;
<h3 data-start="1164" data-end="1196">Subtle Shift in Language</h3>
Observers have, however, noted a subtle but significant shift in the Prime Minister&rsquo;s phrasing. While he invoked Nitish Kumar&rsquo;s leadership, the traditional slogan of &lsquo;Nitish government again&rsquo;&mdash;ubiquitous in the 2020 elections&mdash;was conspicuously missing.
Back in October 2020, PM Modi had unequivocally stated at a rally in Sasaram that &ldquo;a government under Nitish Kumar&rsquo;s leadership is essential for Bihar&rsquo;s progress.&rdquo; The slogan &ldquo;Is baar, phir Nitish sarkar&rdquo; had then echoed across the NDA&rsquo;s campaign trail.
<h3 data-start="1732" data-end="1767">Amit Shah&rsquo;s Guarded Remarks</h3>
Adding to the uncertainty, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has consistently avoided naming Nitish Kumar as the next Chief Minister.
In a televised interview on 16 October 2025, when asked who would head the government if the NDA won, Shah responded: &ldquo;Who am I to decide who will be Chief Minister? We are contesting this election under Nitish Kumar&rsquo;s leadership. After the polls, all allies will collectively choose the leader of the legislature party.&rdquo;
Earlier, in June 2025, Shah remarked that while the alliance would fight the polls under Nitish Kumar&rsquo;s leadership, &ldquo;time will tell who becomes the Chief Minister.&rdquo;
A similar stance was evident in December 2024, when he stated that the party&rsquo;s parliamentary board would take the final call &ldquo;at an appropriate time.&rdquo;
<h3 data-start="2585" data-end="2618">Nitish&rsquo;s Subdued Reaction</h3>
Following Shah&rsquo;s December 2024 statement, Nitish Kumar withdrew from Bihar Business Connect 2024, officially citing health reasons. Political observers, however, viewed it as a discreet expression of discontent.
<h3 data-start="2843" data-end="2869">Contrast with 2020</h3>
The BJP&rsquo;s tone in 2020 was markedly different. In an interview dated 17 October 2020, Amit Shah had clearly said: &ldquo;Our alliance will win a two-thirds majority. Nitish Kumar will be Chief Minister again, even if the BJP wins more seats.&rdquo;
<h3 data-start="3119" data-end="3151">Political Interpretation</h3>
Analysts believe the BJP&rsquo;s measured ambiguity this time signals a recalibration within the NDA. With the party expected to perform strongly, it may seek a greater share of power, possibly even the Chief Minister&rsquo;s post, should its tally surpass that of the JD(U).
For now, the NDA campaign continues to project Nitish Kumar&rsquo;s leadership, but the post-election power dynamicsremain open-ended&mdash;reflecting an undercurrent of quiet competition beneath the alliance&rsquo;s public unity.

Once vocal about ‘Nitish government again’, BJP now limits itself to ‘leadership’

BJP’s cautious silence on Nitish stirs debate

Once vocal about ‘Nitish government again’, BJP now limits itself to ‘leadership’

October 25, 2025 | 07:16 IST