Congress leader Sachin Pilot launched a scathing attack on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna on Sunday, accusing him of valuing power over the people of Bihar as the state gears up for the 2025 Assembly elections. Speaking to reporters, Pilot said Kumar’s repeated political alliances and betrayals reflect a deeper obsession with retaining office rather than addressing the state’s pressing issues like unemployment, migration, and poverty. “Nitish Kumar’s love for power is more than his love for the people of Bihar,” Pilot declared, pointing to Kumar’s history of switching sides—from the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan in 2022 back to the BJP-led NDA in 2024. The remarks come just days before the first phase of polling on November 6, intensifying the electoral battle in a state where Kumar’s image as a development icon has eroded amid growing anti-incumbency.

Pilot went further, predicting the collapse of the BJP-JD(U) alliance after the election results, using a local metaphor to drive his point. “The BJP’s ‘baisakhi’ (crutch) in Bihar will be wrested away,” he said, implying that the saffron party’s reliance on Kumar for survival in the state will end with the verdict. The comment highlights perceived cracks within the NDA, where seat-sharing disputes and internal rivalries have surfaced despite public unity. Pilot’s visit to Patna forms part of Congress’s renewed push to revive its influence in Bihar, where it holds only 19 seats, by aligning with the RJD and left parties under the Mahagathbandhan banner.

Kumar, now in his fifth term as chief minister, has long defended his political shifts as necessary for stability and governance. He cites achievements like improved law and order, the launch of the Patna Metro, and enhanced rural electrification since rejoining the NDA. However, critics, including Pilot, argue that these gains mask deeper failures—Bihar’s per capita income remains the lowest in India at Rs 47,000, and youth unemployment stands at 13%, according to recent NSSO data. Migration continues unabated, with millions leaving for work in Maharashtra and Delhi, fuelling opposition narratives of neglect.

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The Congress, under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, is banking on caste census demands, employment guarantees, and welfare promises to mobilise OBC, Dalit, and Muslim voters—key demographics in over 150 constituencies. Pilot’s aggressive rhetoric signals a shift from the party’s earlier defensive posture, aiming to position Congress as a credible alternative to both NDA and RJD dominance. His remarks also resonate with younger voters disillusioned by Kumar’s longevity and the BJP’s perceived overreach in state politics.

As polling unfolds in three phases—November 6, 11, and 18, with counting on November 14—the battle for Bihar’s 243 seats has become a referendum on Kumar’s legacy. The JD(U)-BJP alliance faces a resurgent Mahagathbandhan, bolstered by Tejashwi Yadav’s popularity and anti-NDA sentiment in rural strongholds. Pilot’s intervention has injected fresh momentum into the opposition campaign, framing the election as a choice between continuity and change.

With over 7.5 crore voters and a projected turnout above 70%, the 2025 Bihar elections will shape not just the state’s future but also national political alignments ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha polls. Whether Pilot’s prophecy of a broken “baisakhi” comes true remains to be seen, but his words have undeniably sharpened the contest, placing Nitish Kumar’s political survival under the harshest spotlight yet.

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