‘Nitish Kumar a remote-controlled Chief Minister’: Congress hits back at NDA jibes against Mahagathbandhan ahead of Bihar elections

Bihar elections 2025: Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's remote was in the hands of PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

Nitish Kumar with PM Modi during the inauguration of development projects in Bihar earlier this year (FB@NitishKumarJDU).

Bihar elections 2025: Reacting to the NDA’s barbs and jibes, the Congress launched a scathing attack at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the BJP. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that votes to the JD(U) would eventually be credited to the BJP and that Nitish Kumar was merely a “remote-controlled Chief Minister”.

The Rajya Sabha MP said: “Bihar will bid farewell to Nitish Kumar and the BJP. You will see that the Mahagathbandhan is going to win a clear majority. People at the grassroots are fed up. Irrespective of what PM Modi or Amit Shah say, Bihar voters have decided to bring Mahagathbandhan to power.”

Seemingly alluding to the NDA’s claims of rift within the Opposition alliance, “They may about rubbish about the Mahagathbandhan and its constituents, but the people of Bihar know that voting for Nitish Kumar is voting for the BJP. Nitish Kumar is a merely a remote-controlled Chief Minister. He doesn’t have any power. The remote is with the PM and the Home Minister [Shah].”

#WATCH | Delhi | Congress MP Jairam Ramesh says, “Bihar will bid farewell to Nitish Kumar and the BJP. You will see that the Mahagathbandhan is going to win a clear majority. People at the grassroots are fed up… The people of Bihar know that voting for Nitish Kumar is better… pic.twitter.com/QPPfCMRspt

— ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2025

What the NDA is saying about Mahagathbandhan

The NDA has hurled quite a few barbs over the Mahagathbandhan failing to reach a seat-sharing deal. LJP(Ram Vilas) MP Shambhavi Choudhary said the Mahagathbandhan’s indecision will help them easily cross 225 seats.

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“Mahagathbandhan seems to be stuck in a quagmire…This simply shows that a party that can’t sort out issues within its own alliance, how it will raise Bihar’s issues? So, there’s no doubt that the NDA will form a strong government.”

LJP-Ram Vilas chief Chirag Paswan said there was no consensus in the Mahagathbandhan over the CM face. “Even their alliance is not saying that Tejashwi is confirmed as Chief Ministerial candidate… An alliance which has so many internal clashes cannot develop Bihar,” he said.

#WATCH | Patna, Bihar | Union Minister Chirag Paswan says, “Who says Tejashwi Yadav’s name (as CM candidate) is confirmed when even the Alliance is not saying that Tejashwi is confirmed. The people will not accept them. An alliance which has so many internal clashes cannot… pic.twitter.com/wxzWs45ehO

— ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2025

RLJP-Mahagathbandhan talks fail

Meanwhile, the alliance talks for the Bihar elections between the Pashupati Paras-led Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party and other Mahagathbandhan constituents like Congress and RJD have failed. The RLJP has decided to go solo in the elections.

“We made efforts to form an alliance with the Mahagathbandhan, but it did not materialise. We have decided to contest the elections alone. I am hopeful that in the first phase of the elections, we shall be able to win a good number of seat,” former Union minister Pashupati Paras said.

#WATCH | Patna, Bihar: Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party chief, Pashupati Kumar Paras, said, “…We made significant efforts to form an alliance with the Mahagathbandhan, but the alliance did not materialise…We have decided that we will contest the elections alone…I am hopeful… pic.twitter.com/jxA2kcom0a

— ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2025

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