Bihar polls: Why was CM Nitish Kumar missing from PM Modi’s rallies? BJP responds | India News – The Times of India

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party’s Bihar co-ordinator Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday refuted opposition’s claim that all is not well in NDA camp citing Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar‘s absence from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign ahead of assembly elections.While talking to news agency ANI, Pradhan said that it was a part of NDA’s plan that every leader will carry out election campaigns individually.“Before the elections, PM Modi attended 7-8 government programs at the invitation of CM Nitish Kumar and the Bihar government… On October 24, the election campaign began in Jannayak Karpoori Thakur’s village in Samastipur, where all NDA leaders were present, including PM Modi, CM Nitish Kumar, Upendra Kushwaha, and Chirag Paswan,” Pradhan said.“It is a part of our plan. We have decided that all of us will carry out the election campaign individually,” he added.This comes after Congress questioned Nitish’s “absence” in Prime Minister’s road show in Patna and political rallies elsewhere in Bihar. he asserted that BJP is not going to make Nitish CM again.“Nitish Kumar was not seen along with the PM in his rallies on Sunday. He was also missing from the PM’s roadshow in Patna. It’s clear that Nitish would not become the CM again,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had said.“They (BJP leaders) are hatching a conspiracy. Even during the release of NDA’s manifesto, he (Kumar) was not allowed to speak,” he added.This comes as campaigning for the second phase of the Bihar assembly elections concluded on Sunday, top leaders from the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan made their final push to win voters ahead of polling on November 11. The results for the legislative assembly elections will be announced on November 14.In the second phase of the 2025 assembly polls, the NDA will face a major challenge in maintaining its dominance, particularly in its northern Bihar strongholds, including East Champaran, West Champaran, Sheohar, and Sitamarhi districts, where the ruling alliance currently holds sway over 30 assembly seats.The phase will also decide the fate of 12 ministers from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s cabinet. Among them are JD(U) leaders Vijendra Yadav (contesting from Supaul assembly constituency), Lesi Singh (Dhamdaha), Jayant Kushwaha (Amarpur), Sumit Singh (Chakai), Mohammad Jama Khan (Chainpur), and Sheela Mandal (Phoolparas). Key ministers from the BJP in the fray include Prem Kumar (Gaya), Renu Devi (Bettiah), Vijay Kumar Mandal (Sikati), Nitish Mishra (Jhanjharpur), Neeraj Bablu (Chhatapur), and Krishnanandan Paswan (Harsiddhi).In the second phase, a total of 1,302 candidates are in the fight, 136 (about 10 per cent) of whom are women. Polling will be held in 45,399 centres, and the number of eligible electors is 3.70 crore, 1.95 crore men and 1.74 crore women.The NDA comprises the BJP, JD(U), HAMS, LJP (RV), and other parties, and is seeking to retain power for a second term. The Mahagathbandhan, comprising the Congress, RJD, left parties, and the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), is looking to regain power.