Bihar Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Sanjay Saraogi on Saturday, 19 September sharply dismissed the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress overture to former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, saying the Opposition parties were free to 'dream' but the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in Bihar remained firmly united and was delivering for the public.

Saraogi's Remarks on the Opposition

Speaking to reporters, Saraogi did not mince words about the electoral standing of the Opposition in Bihar. 'Congress and RJD have been completely wiped out in Bihar,' he said. 'The Congress MLAs can fit in one Scorpio, and even then, the Scorpio would remain empty. And if RJD wins one fewer seat, they will not even have the Leader of Opposition.'

He stressed that the NDA commanded a 'massive three-fourths majority' in the state, and that the government, under the leadership of Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, was functioning in the public interest with broad popular support. 'So, let Congress and RJD continue dreaming; there is nothing there. The five Pandavas of the NDA are united and running the government together,' Saraogi added.

Why the Overture Was Made

The RJD-led Mahagathbandhan's push to invite Nitish Kumar — president of the Janata Dal (United) — into the Opposition alliance came in the wake of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's announcement that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) would be implemented across all BJP-ruled and NDA-governed states. Critics within the Opposition have argued that the UCC announcement could strain the ideological compact within the ruling alliance, a reading that Saraogi flatly rejected.

Jabs at Akhilesh Yadav and Nandigram

Saraogi also targeted Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, dismissing his PDA Rath Yatra as politically inconsequential. 'The way the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government has worked in Uttar Pradesh, established the rule of law and brought investment, Uttar Pradesh has progressed so much. Now, the people do not want to see that goonda raj and mafia raj anymore,' he said, predicting the Opposition's defeat as a certainty.

On the Nandigram bye-election, Saraogi claimed the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate had withdrawn her candidacy, and the Congress candidate had been arrested in connection with four cases — including alleged involvement in three murder cases and one charge under the Arms Act. 'In Nandigram, the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate is going to win with a massive majority,' he asserted. These claims, made by Saraogi, could not be independently verified at the time of publication.

BJP's Response to Bihar Floods

Turning to the flood situation in Bihar, Saraogi said the BJP was putting money where its mouth was. He said the party's national president had pledged ₹6.35 lakh — equivalent to three months of his Rajya Sabha salary — to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, followed by a ₹51 lakh contribution from the Bihar BJP unit. Saraogi said he personally delivered the cheque to the Chief Minister.

He further stated that all NDA MLAs, BJP MLAs, MLCs, and MPs would donate one month's salary to the relief fund. Saraogi accused Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav and the Congress of treating the flood crisis as an opportunity for 'photo sessions' rather than meaningful intervention.

What This Signals for Bihar Politics

The exchange underscores the intensifying political competition in Bihar ahead of any potential realignment in state or national politics. The Opposition's attempt to peel away the JD(U) from the NDA — however publicly rebuffed — signals that the Mahagathbandhan continues to probe for cracks in an alliance that spans five constituent parties. Whether the UCC announcement widens those fault lines remains to be seen.