The confidence motion, however, was preceded by a charged debate in the House, marked by pointed jibes, sharp political framing and personal barbs from both the Opposition and Treasury benches.
Opening the Opposition’s attack, Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav questioned the very need for the special session. “This situation would not have arisen if the BJP had declared earlier that the chief minister would be from their side,” he said. Referring to the JD(U)’s campaign slogan, he added, “The slogan was ‘2025 to 30, phir se Nitish’, but what has happened is that the BJP has finished Nitish ji within that period.”
He sought to frame the transition as illegitimate. “An elected CM has been replaced by a selected CM,” he said. He also pointed to what he described as instability in governance: “In five years, this is the fifth government… where else in the country does this happen?”
Yadav then turned his focus to the BJP’s internal dynamics, arguing that despite the party getting its first chief minister in Bihar, “no original BJP leader is visible at the top”. Naming leaders, including Speaker Prem Kumar and others such as Nand Kishore Yadav, Giriraj Singh and Ashwini Choubey, he suggested that core BJP figures had been sidelined, leaving the party’s own cadre dissatisfied.
In one of the more personal jibes, Yadav warned the Chief Minister to guard his position carefully, suggesting there were others in the BJP eyeing it.
Further raising questions over Choudhary’s personal credentials, Yadav said the public deserved clarity on his age and academic qualifications. “Which affidavit should people believe? Which year is correct? Not just Bihar, the entire country wants to know,” he said.
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The Opposition Leader, however, struck a conciliatory note towards the end. He extended support on development issues, urging the government to consult the Opposition on policy decisions. He called for OBC sub-quota within women’s reservation in legislatures and suggested that the Chief Minister lead an all-party delegation to meet the Prime Minister for special category status for Bihar. “We will support whatever helps Bihar move forward,” he said.
‘No one can remove Nitish Kumar’
Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary rejected the Opposition’s narrative and defended the transition of power from Nitish Kumar, saying, “No one can remove Nitish Kumar, neither from politics nor from people’s hearts. It is his willpower that has brought me here.” He described the leadership change as a conscious and voluntary decision by Kumar to hand over responsibility to the next generation.
Taking on the “selected versus elected” remark, Choudhary said the mandate ultimately came from the people. “The Chief Minister’s post is the blessing of 14 crore people of Bihar,” he said, dismissing claims of backroom selection.
He also hit back at questions about his age and qualifications. “If I had been a minor in 1995, would I have been sent to jail? I would have been sent to a juvenile home,” he said, adding that all details had been disclosed in affidavits and tested in courts up to the Supreme Court.
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Choudhary said his political journey was shaped by adversity. He alleged that during the tenure of Lalu Prasad Yadav, he and 22 members of his family were jailed. “If that injustice had not happened, I might not have entered politics,” he said.
The Chief Minister then turned the attack back on the RJD leadership with a series of pointed remarks. He claimed that without Nitish Kumar’s support, Lalu Prasad would not have risen beyond being an MLA. “He could have become an MLA, maybe an MP, but not a leader,” Choudhary said.
In one of the sharpest exchanges of the debate, Choudhary also alleged that Lalu Prasad had, at one point, approached the RSS to secure support. Countering the Opposition’s ideological positioning, he claimed that Lalu Prasad required the backing of 33 legislators to form a government and that such political outreach was crucial to his becoming chief minister.
While acknowledging Lalu Prasad as a “senior leader”, Choudhary suggested that his politics had come at the cost of Bihar’s development. “He became one of the youngest chief ministers, but what happened to Bihar in that period is known to everyone,” he said.
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Shifting to governance, Choudhary emphasised that his government would carry forward the work of Nitish Kumar and that development remained his sole priority. He outlined plans to generate one crore jobs, boost private investment and strengthen infrastructure in health and education. He also announced a key administrative reform, stating that block, circle and police station-level functioning would now be directly monitored by the Chief Minister’s Office.
On social representation, he countered the Opposition’s demand for OBC inclusion in women’s reservation by pointing to existing data. He noted that of 29 women legislators in the Assembly, 23 belong to OBC or Dalit communities. He also issued a strong warning on women’s safety: “Anyone who casts a wrong eye on women will be tracked down even to the depths.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary framed the leadership change as a larger political moment, calling it the rise of the “second generation” of NDA leadership in Bihar. He described the transition as rare and significant. “It is not easy to leave power… but this has happened smoothly,” he said, referring to Nitish Kumar stepping aside.
The 18th Bihar Assembly, constituted after the 2025 elections, has 243 seats, with the NDA commanding a majority of 201 legislators. The Mahagathbandhan has 35 members, and other parties account for the rest. While BJP’s Nitin Nabin vacated his Bankipur Assembly seat following his election to the Rajya Sabha along with Nitish Kumar, the NDA government has consolidated its position in the House with the confidence motion passed without a formal vote.
