"BJP Made Nitish Kumar Desi Maduro": Opposition Reacts To Rajya Sabha Move

The BJP has carried out a "political abduction" in Bihar, and the core voter of Janata Dal (United) feels cheated, the state's main opposition, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), has said after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced his decision to contest the Rajya Sabha polls after two decades of leading the state government.

Manoj Kumar Jha, RJD's Rajya Sabha MP, said the party's leader Tejashwi Yadav had repeatedly said during the Assembly polls campaign last year that Nitish Kumar would be a "temporary Chief Minister". "But this is too temporary. I read his post (on X). Don't call it Nitish ji's post. Each word has been chosen in Delhi," he told NDTV, implying that Kumar has taken the decision under pressure from the BJP. "A man who served as Chief Minister for 21 years now wants to come to Rajya Sabha. This is childish. At least, make a good argument," Jha said.

The RJD MP drew parallels between Nitish Kumar and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was captured by the US forces and brought to the US in January on drug trafficking charges. "What happened here is similar to what happened with Maduro in Venezuela, kidnapping with consent. His (Kumar) core voter feels cheated," he said, stressing that this won't go down well with anyone in Bihar.

Jha said the BJP had executed a plan in Maharashtra to "demote" Sena chief Eknath Shinde and make him Deputy Chief Minister after the NDA win in the 2024 Maharashtra polls. "They knew Bihar is not Maharashtra and they cannot demote Nitish Kumar. So they tweaked the model. They made Nitish ji desi Maduro," he said.

RJD leader Mrityunjay Tiwari said "no one could have anticipated that the BJP would remove Chief Minister Nitish Kumar so quickly". "A lot of people from JDU are working in collusion with the BJP, but many want Nitish Kumar to stay. This is a huge political abduction. The attitude of the BJP with their allies is slowly becoming clear," he said.

Kumar has said in a post on X that he long harboured a wish to become a member of both Houses of Parliament and both Houses of the state legislature. He has already been a Lok Sabha MP, an MLA, and an MLC, and a Rajya Sabha stint would complete the quartet.

"For the past two decades, you have trusted and supported me, and I have served you with full dedication. It is your trust and support due to which Bihar is setting new standards in development," he wrote. "Since the beginning of my parliamentary career, I had a desire in my heart to become a member of both Houses of state legislature, as well as both Houses of Parliament. That's why I want to become a Rajya Sabha MP in the upcoming election," Kumar wrote. "I assure you that my relationship with you will continue, and I will keep working for a developed Bihar. The new government will enjoy my full support and guidance," he wrote. His exit as Chief Minister would pave the way for the BJP claiming the seat for the first time in Bihar.