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Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Wednesday supported Union Minister Giriraj Singh's call to confer the Bharat Ratna on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
"Nitish Kumar is not new to politics, nor has he faced any allegations of corruption. We support Giriraj Singh's statement," he said. Giriraj Singh had earlier suggested that the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, should be awarded to both Nitish Kumar and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. "Nitish Kumar has contributed significantly to the state's development. Naveen Patnaik has also served Odisha with dedication for many years. Individuals like them deserve recognition with awards such as the Bharat Ratna," Singh told reporters. He also expressed confidence in Nitish Kumar's leadership for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar. "The NDA government will be formed again under Nitish Kumar's leadership. He has served as Chief Minister for many years. Today's youth, now in their thirties, have not witnessed the jungle raj of Lalu Prasad Yadav's era," Singh remarked. On Tuesday, Union Minister and JD(U) leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh also affirmed that the NDA would contest the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections under Nitish Kumar's leadership. "In the 2025 Bihar Assembly election, the NDA will contest under Nitish Kumar's leadership," Ranjan Singh told ANI. The NDA performed well in the Lok Sabha elections in Bihar, with its key constituents being the BJP, JD(U), LJP (Ram Vilas), and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular). Nitish Kumar had earlier toppled the Mahagathbandhan government, re-aligning with the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP remains the senior partner in Bihar's NDA alliance, holding 84 seats in the State Assembly, while the JD(U) has 48. The Assembly elections for Bihar's 243 seats are expected to be held in late 2025. (ANI)
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