'No vacancy for CM post in Bihar': Chirag Paswan

After the meeting, while speaking to the media, Chirag Paswan said that there is currently no vacancy for the Chief Minister's post in Bihar. "There is no vacancy for the Chief Minister's post in Bihar. The current Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar, is leading our NDA alliance, and I am confident that after the election results, a strong NDA government will be formed under his leadership and guided by the vision of Prime Minister Modi. The government will be led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar," he said.

His remark is being seen as a clear endorsement of Nitish Kumar's leadership, indicating that in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, the NDA will project Nitish Kumar as its Chief Ministerial candidate.

Nitish-Chirag relations in the past

The two leaders have shared a fairly sour relations in the past when Chirag Paswan slammed the chief minister on a number of occasions, including when Nitish had crossed over to the RJD camp in August 2022, leaving the NDA government for the second time.

Chirag had said that Nitish Kumar "insulted" the people's mandate, which was for the NDA in the Assembly polls in 2020. Chirag had also said that Nitish Kumar lost credibility and would draw a blank in the next polls. However, after Nitish Kumar's return to the NDA fold in January last year, the leaders have gone soft on each other.

Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the dynamics shifted significantly. Chirag Paswan and Nitish Kumar appeared to set aside past differences, presenting a more unified front under the NDA banner. Chirag's party was allotted five seats, all of which it won, signaling a renewed alignment and growing understanding between the two leaders.

Now, with the Bihar Assembly elections approaching, the battle for seat-sharing within the NDA is expected to intensify again. While Chirag Paswan has clarified there's 'no vacancy' for the Chief Minister's post—effectively backing Nitish Kumar's leadership—the negotiation over the number of seats each party will contest is likely to be a critical test of their renewed cooperation.

Bihar elections 2025

It is pertinent to mention that the Legislative Assembly election for all 243 constituencies in Bihar is scheduled to be held in October or November this year. The previous assembly elections were held in October–November 2020. After the election, the National Democratic Alliance formed the state government, with Nitish Kumar becoming Chief Minister.  Later, In August 2022 Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) snapped ties with NDA and formed the government with RJD-led Mahagathbandhan. Later, in January 2024, Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) snapped ties with RJD-led Mahagathbandhan and again formed the government with BJP-led NDA.