Nitish snaps at Tejashwi Yadav, reminding of old days
The Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar attacked opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav, reminding him of old days when Tejashwi's parents (Lalu Yadav and Rabri Devi) were the chief ministers. During an agitated Bihar Assembly session on July 22, Nitish Kumar snapped at Tejashwi saying, "Jab umarwa tumhara kam tha..." (When you were a kid), reacting to his Janata Dal (United) splitting from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). The exchange reflected the growing rift and rising political heat in Bihar with the approaching 2025 Assembly polls.
The encounter was witnessed in a debate over the political shift when JD(U) walked out of the Mahagathbandhan group and rejoined the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Countering Tejashwi Yadav's blistering attack on JD(U)'s ideological shift and opportunism, Nitish snapped back, justified his previous decisions and recent political move.
"You were a child at that time; you don't understand the type of decisions we used to take," Kumar told Tejashwi, asserting that he had even joined the RJD-led alliance in the past with the interest of the state in mind. But the CM was firm that the alliance had "gone haywire" and failed to deliver on its promises, justifying JD(U)'s recent political turn.
Nitish also blamed Mahagathbandhan rule for starting to suffer from policy paralysis and coordination issues. He blamed Tejashwi and his allies for failures in governance and for not backing prime initiatives.
Tejashwi responded by blaming Nitish for constantly switching allegiances for political survival and labeled JD(U)'s recent action as a sellout of Bihar's voters. He also tabled in the House Nitish's earlier strong criticism against the BJP.
The verbal spat has given a boost to a combustible political climate in Bihar, with both the sides preparing for an acrimonious poll fight. Pundits believe JD(U) rejoining NDA can consolidate anti-RJD votes and yet do so at the cost of damaging Nitish Kumar's credibility.
This volt high-voltage outburst has set the stage for a fiercely competitive 2025 election, and Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav are now the center of Bihar's political arena.
