Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar publicly pledged allegiance to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Saturday during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Aurangabad. Kumar assured the Prime Minister that he would remain steadfast within the NDA, vowing not to switch alliances.
Speaking at a public gathering in Ratanwa village, Bihar CM said, "You had come earlier as well but I had vanished. But I am with you now. I assure you that I will not go here and there. I will stay with you only." Prime Minister Modi responded with a smile.
The Chief Minister's commitment comes over a month after his party, Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)], rejoined the NDA, leaving behind the Mahagathbandhan alliance. In January, Nitish Kumar was sworn in as Bihar Chief Minister for a record ninth time since 2000.
Prime Minister Modi, in Aurangabad to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for development projects worth over Rs 21,400 crore, was joined by a gathering of prominent leaders, including Deputy CMs Samat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, Governor Rajendra V Arlekar, and Union ministers.
Projects unveiled by PM Modi included national highway developments exceeding Rs 18,000 crore, the foundation stone for a six-lane bridge over the Ganga parallel to the existing JP Ganga Setu, and the dedication of three railway projects, including the doubling of the Pataliputra-Pahleja line and a new 26-km-long line between Bandhua and Paimar.
Furthermore, the Prime Minister inaugurated 12 projects under the Namami Gange scheme, amounting to over Rs 2,190 crore. These projects encompass sewerage treatment plants in Patna, Sonepur, Naugachia, and Chapra. He also laid the foundation stone for the Unity Mall in Patna, supporting the 'One District, One Product' initiative, with an estimated cost exceeding Rs 200 crore.