Samrat Choudhary interview: ‘Nitish Kumar will remain Bihar CM, no two ways about it’

BJP may soon come up with its manifesto. We have also been talking to our allies to coordinate on our blueprint for next five years. We have to fulfil unfulfilled promises of development. After all, there had been a blockage in Bihar’s development between 1965 and 2005. We have to work more for empowerment of youth and women. We intend to get investment worth Rs 20 lakh crore in next five years. We had land reserve of only 7,282 acres but of late, we purchased 14,000 acres land from individuals. We intend to make a land bank of 50,000 acres in coming years to meet the requirement of our prospective investors.

* The Mahagathbandhan has now projected Tejashwi Yadav as its CM face. Who is the NDA’s CM face? Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Union Home Minister Amit Shah have not been clear about it so far.

Hamare yahan koi vacancy nahi hai. Nitish ji CM hain aur aage bhi bane rahenge (There is no vacancy in NDA. Nitish Kumar is CM and will continue to be CM.) It was BJP that had first projected Nitish Kumar as CM in the October 2005 polls when our top leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee had given a go-ahead to the idea. Nitish ji may have a different ideology but he has been acceptable to all NDA allies. There is no two ways about it. Ye charcha ka vishay hi nahi hai (it does not merit any discussion).

* But the Opposition says the BJP would not make Nitish the CM if the NDA returns to power.

Nitish has been with BJP for 29 years (notwithstanding his break-up with the NDA twice). BJP has been instrumental in making both Lalu Prasad and Nitish the CM. Lalu changed in six months (in 1990, when BJP withdrew support from Lalu-led Janata Dal government before the L K Advani yatra) but Nitish stayed with us. Why should there be anything against him?

* Don’t you think Tejashwi, with his announcement of Rs 5 lakh insurance cover to each of 1.4 crore Jeevika workers and the Mai Bahan Maan Yojana (promising Rs 2,500 monthly assistance to each woman) earlier, can split the NDA’s women constituency? 

All political parties are well within their rights to make announcements before elections. But it is a matter of record that our government had started the bicycle scheme for Class 9 girls, something that led to social transformation and became wheels of change. Under Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana, we have so far transferred Rs 10,000 to each of 1.41 crore prospective women entrepreneurs. Let us also make it clear to our political detractors that Rs 10,000 is a non-refundable amount. We have just given a token money. Now, they have to come with definite business plan to receive further assistance, not grant or loan, of Rs 2 lakh each, which can be given in phased manner, after six months.

* But don’t you think that Tejashwi’s pledge of a government job to each family may change the narrative of the election? After all, his 10 lakh job promise had almost taken the Mahagathbandhan to power in 2020.

In the 2020 polls, our votes were fragmented with Chirag Paswan and Upendra Kushwaha not being part of NDA. This time, they are with us. What he (Tejashwi) has promised is not at all feasible. Has he worked out his figures? We have an annual budget of only Rs 3.17 lakh crore of which only Rs 65,000 crore comes from the state’s own revenue. PM Modi (Centre) gives us Rs 2 lakh crore (by way of special assistance and state’s share in central taxes). And data shows the Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi governments could give only 94,000 jobs as against the Nitish Kumar government giving about 18.5 lakh jobs in last 20 years.

* Despite all the development talks, why does the BJP, especially the PM, often invoke ‘jungle raj’?

It is very important to remind people of jungle raj to tell them the difference between purnima (full moon) and amavasya (new moon). Nitish represents light and Lalu darkness. We need to remind people of dark days that took us to lantern age. Lalu symbolises misrule, scams and lack of growth. The PM, who has been providing a lot to Bihar, also needs to tell people the unforgettable Bihar story of jungle raj years. One would greatly appreciate the first rays of the Sun only if one has passed through chilly darkness of the night.

* How do you see the Prashant Kishor factor? 

Parties come and go. AIMIM, BSP and now Jan Suraaj Party have been contesting in Bihar. I also do not make much of (Kishor’s) migration talks  being any new narrative. In fact, migration has come down from 11% in 2005 to 2% at present. Jeevika didis have been doing annual business worth about Rs 56,000 crore. Migration from villages to small and big towns slowed down in recent years. Small scale industries have been coming up in rural areas. Industry has been contributing 23% to our GDP as again its negative share before 2005. We aim to take industry share in GDP to 50% in a matter of years to register better growth.

* The Jan Suraaj has also alleged that special trains are not being run in big numbers because migrants returning to Bihar could vote for it?

It is a false allegation. Rather, the number of special trains have been increased from 7,500 to 12,000 this time for Chhath (October 25-28). Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh or Lalan Singh, JD (U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal, and I had met Railway minister (Ashwini Vaishnaw) with a request to increase the number of trains, given a huge flow of passengers to and from Bihar for Chhath.

* The BJP has swapped the Tarapur seat for you. Are you out of comfort zone as you return to the poll arena after 15 years? 

Tarapur is my home town. It feels like a son returning home. My father Shakuni Choudhary represented the seat from 1985 to 2010 except 1998-2000 when my mother Parvati Devi represented it after my father was sent to Lok Sabha…. I am not new to poll arena. I contested the 2000 polls but my election was cancelled following a Supreme Court order on being underage at the time of contesting election. But let me make it clear once and for all – my date of birth is 16 November, 1968. ECI (Election Commission of India) is the final electoral authority. I am not bothered with what people say.

* How do you view the claims that you were targeted to keep you out of the CM race?

I have survived political vendetta through these years. I was targeted a lot between 1998 and 2003 over my age and other things. As my political career had been going smoothly since 2005, some people rake up old things but I am not worried.

* Your education qualifications have also come under scanner following Kishor’s allegations. What is your response?

As I was not able to complete my secondary education for some reasons, I pursued PFC or pre-foundation course from Kamaraj University. Though it is necessary to know Tamil  to pursue the course, even one knowing Hindi can pursue it. I did the course, equivalent to Class 12 in some states besides Tamil Nadu, between 2008-2010 and got its result in 2011. I was also given an honorary DLitt (from ‘California Public University’) in 2019. There is nothing to hide.