Who will be NDA’s CM face?
After weeks of speculation and seat-sharing squabbles, the opposition INDIA bloc has finally ended the suspense, declaring Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial face for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections. The formal announcement, made by senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot in Patna in a joint presser, has shifted the spotlight squarely onto the ruling NDA, which continues to dodge the question of who will lead Bihar if it retains power.“Tejashwi Yadav will be the INDIA bloc’s CM face in Bihar,” Ashok Gehlot announced.Gehlot’s remarks came with a pointed jab at the rival camp, “The NDA has been in power for two decades, but this is the first time there’s uncertainty about who will head the government if they win. Who is your CM face?”The Nitish questionSince 2005, Nitish Kumar has been Bihar’s default face — leading every election, regardless of which alliance his JD(U) was aligned with. Whether under the NDA banner or as part of the Grand Alliance, Nitish’s name was never in doubt. This election, however, breaks that pattern.For the first time in two decades, there’s genuine suspense over whether Nitish Kumar would continue as chief minister if the NDA wins. The uncertainty stems not from the opposition but from within the BJP-led camp itself. BJP: Riding on Modi, not NitishIn the NDA, BJP leaders repeatedly praise Nitish Kumar’s administrative record but stop short of calling him the CM candidate. When asked directly who the NDA’s chief ministerial face was, Union home minister Amit Shah replied candidly,”“I am not the one to decide whether Nitish Kumar will be CM or not. For now, we are contesting under his leadership. After the elections, all allies will sit together and decide their leader.”“The NDA and Nitish Kumar fought against ‘jungle raj’ in the past and will fight it again,” he added.Amit Shah’s remarks sounded an acknowledgment of Nitish’s role, but also a signal that his continuation isn’t guaranteed.The ambiguity helps the BJP in several ways. It keeps Nitish Kumar dependent on the national leadership, gives Chirag Paswan’s LJP (Ram Vilas) space to grow, and leaves the door open for a post-poll power recalibration. Paswan, who has been careful not to antagonise Nitish publicly, is widely seen as a potential ally-in-waiting whom the BJP could back if JD(U)’s numbers slump. INDIA bloc takes a digThe opposition wasted no time turning the BJP’s hesitation into a talking point. Tejashwi Yadav, now officially the INDIA bloc’s CM face, taunted the NDA soon after he was declared as the CM face of INDIA bloc saying, “The BJP will not make Nitish Kumar the Chief Minister again, and no one else has confirmed this, but Amit Shah has stated this… The NDA has been in power for 20 consecutive years. You’ve always announced the chief ministerial candidate. Why aren’t you announcing Nitish Kumar as the chief ministerial candidate this time?… After the elections, these people will destroy the JD(U) as well. The party will cease to exist”.Will Prashant Kishor’s prediction come true?Political strategist-turned-activist Prashant Kishor has fanned the speculations by predicting a collapse of JD(U)’s fortunes. “The NDA is definitely on its way out and Nitish Kumar will not return as chief minister,” Kishor told PTI recently. He also claimed the JD(U) may “struggle to win even 25 seats.” The waiting game …The BJP’s silence, however, appears less confusion than calculation. Nitish remains useful as a face of continuity — a leader who can anchor backward-caste votes and rural credibility — but he is no longer the BJP’s only bet.By refusing to name a CM candidate, the BJP keeps Nitish Kumar on notice and every other ally on standby. If the numbers after November 6 tilt in its favour, it can decide whether to retain him, replace him, or promote one of its own.For now, the party seems content to let speculation swirl and keep everyone guessing. Go to Source
