Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 | 'Nitish Kumar will be CM if NDA voted back to power': Minister Nitin Navin

The NDA has agreed to contest the Bihar Assembly elections under the leadership of Nitish Kumar. However, uncertainty persists over whether the JD(U) chief will be made chief minister again if the numbers favour the BJP. Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent remarks have only added fuel to the speculation. Bihar Road Construction Minister and senior BJP leader Nitin Navin, however, insists there is no ambiguity over the CM face. In an interview with DH’s Gyanendra Keshri, Navin also outlined the roadmap for developing roads, bridges, and other infrastructure in Bihar. Edited excerpts:

There is talk about Nitish Kumar's leadership, but no clarity on the CM face. Why the confusion?

There is no confusion. It’s very clear, we are contesting the 2025 election under Nitish Kumar’s leadership. When we have accepted his leadership, where is the confusion? Both the Bihar BJP and the central leadership have conveyed this message very clearly.

Will Nitish be CM even if the numbers favour the BJP?

Absolutely. We have said it clearly: 2025-2030 will be a Nitish Kumar government. There is no confusion at any stage.

How do you see the impact of Prashant Kishor in this election?

The person who once made big claims has now fled the battlefield. When a party’s leadership backs out, what can its workers do? He has accepted defeat.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has promised one government job for every household. How feasible is this, and what impact could it have on the election?

There are around 23 lakh government jobs in Bihar. For this, we need a budget of Rs 3 lakh crore. There are at least two crore families in the state. For one crore jobs, you need a budget of at least Rs 12 lakh crore. There is no clarity on what proportion the jobs will be created and where? For the RJD, it’s not a job promise, but a land grab plan. We won’t let people be fooled again.

What will be the key focus of the NDA if voted back to power?

In the next five years, the biggest challenge will be investment. The three basic issues for investments are road, law and order and electricity. We have reached a certain level of progress on all three fronts. Every district in the state has 24x7 electricity. There is a huge improvement in law and order and road infrastructure. During 2025-30, Bihar will be known for investments.

There have been several incidents of bridge collapses. What is the plan to address this?

Almost every district in Bihar has a river flowing through it, and the state has a large number of small and big bridges. While new bridges have been constructed on a large scale, maintenance remains a key challenge. Our focus now is on ensuring proper upkeep. The Cabinet has already approved a new policy for the management and maintenance of bridges. We will introduce digital health cards for all bridges and deploy advanced technologies, including AI, for effective monitoring and maintenance.

Nitin Navin