Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has firmly stated that Nitish Kumar will continue as Chief Minister if the National Democratic Alliance wins the upcoming Assembly elections. Speaking to The Indian Express, Choudhary emphasized there is no vacancy for the CM position within the NDA coalition. He contrasted the NDA's development vision with what he calls the 'jungle raj' era under Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi. Choudhary is contesting from Tarapur in Munger district, his home constituency previously represented by his father. He outlined plans to attract Rs 20 lakh crore investment over five years and expand the land bank to 50,000 acres. Responding to Mahagathbandhan leader Tejashwi Yadav's promises of government jobs and financial assistance to women, Choudhary questioned their feasibility given Bihar's budget constraints. He dismissed Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party as inconsequential and refuted allegations about special trains for migrants. Choudhary defended himself against questions regarding his age and educational qualifications, stating he completed a pre-foundation course from Kamaraj University equivalent to Class 12 and received an honorary doctorate in 2019. He maintained that the Election Commission is the final authority on electoral matters and expressed confidence about his political standing despite past controversies.
NDA's Development Blueprint and CM Question
Choudhary announced ambitious economic plans targeting Rs 20 lakh crore investment in Bihar over the next five years. The government has expanded its land holdings from 7,282 acres to 14,000 acres and aims to create a land bank of 50,000 acres for prospective investors. Addressing speculation about leadership, he categorically stated that Nitish Kumar will remain Chief Minister if the NDA returns to power. He reminded that the BJP first projected Nitish as CM during the October 2005 elections when Atal Bihari Vajpayee approved the arrangement. Despite ideological differences, Nitish remains acceptable to all NDA allies. Choudhary noted that Nitish has been with BJP for 29 years, barring two brief separations. He emphasized there is no vacancy for the CM position and the matter does not merit discussion. The BJP has been instrumental in making both Lalu Prasad and Nitish Chief Ministers in Bihar's political history.
Countering Opposition Promises and Jungle Raj Narrative
Responding to Tejashwi Yadav's promises of Rs 5 lakh insurance for Jeevika workers and Rs 2,500 monthly assistance to women, Choudhary questioned their financial feasibility. He pointed out Bihar's annual budget is only Rs 3.17 lakh crore, with just Rs 65,000 crore from state revenue, while the Centre provides Rs 2 lakh crore. He highlighted that the NDA government has transferred Rs 10,000 to 1.41 crore women entrepreneurs under Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana as non-refundable seed money. Regarding job promises, he noted that Lalu and Rabri governments provided only 94,000 jobs compared to 18.5 lakh jobs under Nitish in 20 years. Choudhary defended frequent references to 'jungle raj', saying it reminds people of the difference between light and darkness. He stated migration has decreased from 11 percent in 2005 to 2 percent currently, and industry's contribution to GDP increased from negative to 23 percent.
Personal Challenges and Tarapur Homecoming
Contesting from Tarapur after 15 years, Choudhary described it as returning home since his father Shakuni Choudhary represented the seat from 1985 to 2010, except 1998-2000 when his mother Parvati Devi held it. He recalled contesting in 2000 but his election was cancelled by the Supreme Court for being underage, clarifying his date of birth is 16 November 1968. Addressing educational qualification questions raised by Prashant Kishor, he explained he completed a pre-foundation course from Kamaraj University between 2008-2010, equivalent to Class 12, and received results in 2011. He also mentioned receiving an honorary doctorate from California Public University in 2019. Choudhary stated he faced political vendetta between 1998 and 2003 but survived those challenges. He dismissed concerns about special trains for migrants during Chhath, clarifying the number increased from 7,500 to 12,000 this year following requests from NDA leaders to the Railway Minister.
Source: Link