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Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is seeking a record fifth consecutive term in office, addressed his maiden election rally in Minapur constituency of Muzaffarpur district. Nitish Kumar said that he was disillusioned with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), headed by Lalu Prasad Yadav. Kumar, who, in alliance with the BJP, defeated the RJD in 2005, also recalled his alliances with his arch-rival's party, first in 2015 and then again in 2022, both of which lasted for less than two years. "Because of circumstances, I had to tie up with those people, but it did not take me long to realise that they were good for nothing. Now I am back (in NDA) for good," Nitish Kumar said. Attacking Lalu Yadav's RJD, Kumar said that his arch rival did "nothing for women" while in power. "Did the ones in power do anything for women? They could not have cared less. Only when, after seven years of chief ministership, a situation came where stepping down could not have been avoided, the wife was installed," said Kumar, without mentioning his detractors by name. Lalu Yadav, who became the Bihar chief minister in 1990, occupied the post till 1997 when his wife, a homemaker who was till then not known to have an aptitude for politics, was appointed to the top post, in a move that had triggered a massive controversy in those days. Speaking about his government's thrust in women's empowerment, as witnessed in the formation of self-help groups on a large scale and the recently launched Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana, as part of which Rs 10,000 each have been transferred into accounts of more than one crore beneficiaries, Kumar drew a contrast with the previous governments. He also underscored that "an atmosphere of terror" had prevailed in Bihar, because of poor law and order and alleged patronage to criminals by the powers that be, until he took over. "But now, it is for all to see how much things have changed. Even disputes between Hindus and Muslims have come down because we were sensitive to needs like fencing of religious places of both faiths", said Kumar. For all the latest news and india news, visit Times Now to get live updates and breaking news around the world.
