Bihar polls: CM Nitish Kumar says this is his last election

Tejashwi Yadav, the opposition Grand Alliance's chief ministerial contender, has often claimed Kumar was "tired"

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday stunned everybody when he declared that the 2020 Assembly polls would be his last election.

“Yeh mera antim chunav hai. Ant bhala, toh sab bhala. (This is my last election. All is well that ends well),” said Nitish, while canvassing for the JD (U) nominee Lesi Singh at Damdaha in Purnia, as campaigning for the third and last phase of the poll came to an end today.

It is pertinent to mention here that Nitish is himself not contesting from any of the Assembly constituencies, as he is already a member of the Legislative Council (MLC) since 2006, a term renewed every six years.

Also read: Nitish will stand 'with hands folded, head bowed' before RJD for another shot at power, says Chirag Paswan

Facing a tough and bitter fight from his rival Tejashwi Yadav, Nitish precisely meant with his ‘electoral stunt’ of “last election” that he was contesting the 2020 Assembly poll as the “chief ministerial candidate for the last time.”

His assertions, however, failed to cut much ice within the NDA and outside as no one was willing to take Nitish on his face value.

“It’s the same Nitish Kumar who said ‘Mitti mein mil jayenge, par BJP se haanth nahi milayenge’ (Will never join hands with the BJP even if I am decimated),” Nitish had said after severing ties with the BJP in 2013. After joining hands with Lalu in 2015, he dumped the Mahagatbandhan in 2017. So, given his track record of making somersaults, who will believe this ‘Paltu’ Kumar (a term used for Nitish for making frequent U-turns),” said AICC general secretary and Congress’ Communication Department chief Randeep Singh Surjewala.

Nitish's close aide Ashok Choudhary, however, dismissed Surjewala’s assertions. “Nitish Kumar is a serious politician. If he says something, he means it. It’s wrong to link his statement with the third phase of the poll,” said Choudhary, who was earlier Bihar Congress president but crossed over the fence to JD(U) and is currently a minister in Nitish’ outgoing Cabinet.