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Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) young leader and Bihar’s Minister for Road Construction, Nitin Nabin, is contesting again from Bankipur and aiming for a record fifth consecutive win, potentially surpassing the legacy of his father, Nabin Kishore Sinha. As a key strategist for the party in both Bihar and Chhattisgarh, where he played a major role against Bhupesh Baghel, Nabin is central to BJP’s strategy in the 2025 Bihar Assembly polls. In a candid conversation, he opened up about poll issues, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) infrastructure focus, and what success may look like this election season. Edited excerpts: Many believe that the 2025 Bihar assembly result will be dictated by cash, corruption and caste. What is your view? There has been no distribution of cash for votes. Both our central and state governments have always designed public-oriented welfare schemes, from the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana to PM Kisan, our mission has been to empower the poor. The same applies to women: through Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s initiatives like the Bicycle Scheme, Uniform Scheme, and Jeevika Self-Help Groups, the focus has always been making women self-reliant. Bihar’s Jeevika groups have provided nearly 1.5 crore women with Rs 10,000 as seed money; this isn’t a loan, contrary to the RJD’s claims. If a woman wants to start a small business, she is eligible to receive up to Rs 2 lakh at an extremely low interest rate. This is true women’s empowerment, and it should not be seen as an election gimmick. What about corruption, crime and caste? I agree that corruption may persist at some lower levels, but our government upholds zero tolerance. Look at the number of circle officers suspended for irregularities; such action will intensify. Crime is no longer institutionalised in Bihar; action is swift and cases are solved rapidly, often within 24 hours. Do you remember when kidnappings were planned from the Chief Minister’s residence? Those days of ‘jungle raj’ are gone, and Bihar doesn’t want them back. Regarding caste, yes, it’s a reality, but people today look beyond it to support the NDA for its development agenda. आज बांकीपुर विधानसभा अंतर्गत कृष्णा मंडल के राजापुर पुल निवासी श्री अरुण साव जी की माता जी के निधन का दुखद समाचार प्राप्त हुआ। उनके निवास पर जाकर शोकाकुल परिजनों से मिलकर संवेदना व्यक्त किया। ईश्वर से प्रार्थना है कि दिवंगत आत्मा को अपने श्रीचरणों में स्थान दें एवं शोकाकुल… pic.twitter.com/x1C6YVrjbf — Nitin Nabin (@NitinNabin) November 1, 2025 Critics say Bihar’s development stops at roads and electricity. For 20 years, Nitish Kumar’s governance is accused of focusing only on these basics. What is your response? I understand the sentiment, but it’s inaccurate to think nothing else has been achieved. Major companies have signed investment agreements. When Nitish Kumar took the helm, Bihar was a shambles, so roads and electricity had to be priorities. Today, villages have 23 hours of power and paved roads everywhere. New industries require this infrastructure as well as law and order, all of which we now provide. The next phase, 2025–2030, will focus on industrial expansion and job creation. Our target is one crore new jobs. As the Road Construction Minister, what key achievements are you highlighting? Bihar now maintains 13,000 km of roads, aiming for 20,000 km in the next five years. With the Centre’s partnership, multiple major expressways, including Gorakhpur–Siliguri, are now sanctioned. Ten new bridges across the Ganga are coming up. Bihar will soon set benchmarks in connectivity, bringing both employment and new industries. With so many achievements, why did JD(U) change over 30 candidates in the seat-sharing deal? Every party has its strategy. Our strike rate was strong last time, so we saw little need for changes. Perhaps JD(U) felt new candidates would improve their prospects. It’s their prerogative, a strategic move, nothing to do with the BJP. How many seats do you expect the NDA to win in Bihar? We are confident of crossing 200. This time, our performance should exceed the one in 2010, when the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) won only 22 seats. Across Bihar, including Bankipur, the feedback is overwhelming for the NDA. The people are supporting us across caste and religious lines, especially women. On November 14, the results will showcase the vision for a new Bihar.
