Nitish Kumar Reacts to Lalu Yadav's 'Doors Open' Remark, Calls RJD Alliance a 'Mistake'

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday dismissed the RJD, led by his political adversary Lalu Prasad, by saying that his past alliances with the party were "mistakes" and that the RJD did nothing during its time in power.

Kumar's comments came shortly after Lalu Prasad, a former Chief Minister, remarked that the RJD was leaving its "doors open" for the JD(U), which has now rejoined the BJP-led NDA.

Speaking to reporters in Muzaffarpur, a district in north Bihar, as part of his state-wide Pragati Yatra, Kumar said, "The previous government—did they do anything? People were afraid to step outside after dark. I mistakenly allied with them a couple of times." He further emphasized, "What was the situation for women then? Today, you can see these self-help groups we introduced as 'Jivika'. The central government even adopted our model, calling it 'Ajivika'. Have you ever seen rural women so confident before?"

Kumar, however, refrained from addressing the cryptic "offer" made by Prasad, which was dismissed by Tejashwi Yadav, the RJD leader's son and successor, but supported by the Congress.

Prasad's remarks came amid Union Home Minister Amit Shah's ambiguous position on naming Kumar as the chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming assembly elections, less than a year away.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders in the state have consistently stated that Kumar will be the "face" of the NDA in the 2025 elections.

The BJP, which failed to secure a majority in the Lok Sabha polls, relies on allies such as JD(U) and Andhra Pradesh's TDP, led by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, to maintain its grip on power at the Centre.