Rahul Gandhi Claims Nitish Kumar Was 'Compromised' During Tamil Nadu Campaign

NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha leader of the opposition Rahul Gandhi on Monday launched a fierce attack on the NDA, making a strong claim about the recent exit of BJP ally Nitish Kumar from the chief minister's post in Bihar, a position he held for the longest period in the state. Rahul alleged that the former Bihar CM was "compromised" during his Tamil Nadu poll campaign.

Campaigning for the ruling DMK–Congress alliance in Thoothukudi, Rahul targeted JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar, saying, "Nitish Kumar did not say a word; he silently went to the Rajya Sabha." The Congress leader also trained his guns on the BJP, asserting, "We will never allow the BJP to have a government they can control in Tamil Nadu." He added, "The BJP wants a government in Tamil Nadu that it can fully control, a chief minister who does exactly what they say."

Recently, veteran politician Nitish Kumar entered the Rajya Sabha as a debutant, in a move widely seen as a farewell phase to his long tenure in Bihar politics. Nitish Kumar's exit from Bihar marks a significant turning point in the state's political history, formally ending the Lalu–Nitish duopoly and paving the way for the BJP to form its first-ever government in the state under the leadership of Samrat Choudhary.

The Bihar assembly elections held in November resulted in a landslide victory for the NDA. Despite years of incumbency, the Nitish-led alliance emerged victorious, with the BJP, for the first time, securing a higher seat tally than its longtime "big brother" in the state, JD(U).