JD-U's Shyam Rajak fires back at RJD over Nitish Kumar bridge naming row
Synopsis
Bihar's newest and most expensive bridge has become the latest flashpoint between JD-U and RJD. JD-U's Shyam Rajak invoked the fodder and bitumen scams to swat down Rohini Acharya's demand that the ₹5,000 crore Kacchi Dargah-Bidupur bridge be named after Lalu Prasad instead of Nitish Kumar — with PM Modi set to dedicate 'Nitish Setu' on 21 November.
Key Takeaways
JD-U General Secretary Shyam Rajak rebuked RJD 's Rohini Acharya on 15 November 2026 over her opposition to naming the new Bihar bridge after Nitish Kumar .
Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary announced the six-lane Kacchi Dargah-Bidupur Ganga bridge will be named 'Nitish Setu' .
PM Narendra Modi will dedicate the bridge to the nation during his Bihar visit on 21 November .
The bridge cost more than ₹5,000 crore ; ₹3,000 crore was funded via an Asian Development Bank loan and ₹2,000 crore from state resources.
Rajak invoked the fodder scam and bitumen scam to counter the RJD's objections, warning that Bihar before 2005 was 'dilapidated'.
Janata Dal-United (JD-U) national General Secretary Shyam Rajak on Sunday, 15 November 2026, sharply rebuked Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Rohini Acharya — daughter of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav — over her opposition to naming the newly constructed Kacchi Dargah-Bidupur Ganga bridge after former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Rajak invoked the fodder and bitumen scams associated with the RJD's tenure to dismiss the criticism.
What Triggered the Spat
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary had announced that the newly built six-lane Kacchi Dargah Raghopur-Bidupur Ganga bridge would be renamed 'Nitish Setu' in honour of the JD-U president. In a post on X, Choudhary confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would dedicate the bridge to the nation during his visit to Bihar on 21 November. The Lalu Prasad family objected to this decision, with Rohini Acharya demanding the structure instead be named after her father or christened the 'Social Justice Bridge'.
Rajak's Scathing Counter-Attack
Rajak did not hold back, turning the bridge-naming debate into a full-throated assault on the RJD's legacy. 'According to them, the entire state of Bihar should be renamed Charanagar. There was the fodder scam and the bitumen scam; a state should be named Bitumen Scam State, or another should be named Fodder Scam State,' he said.
He further alleged that those 'only known for their corruption' had conveniently forgotten what Bihar looked like before 2005. 'Our leader, respected Nitish Kumar ji, took charge of a dilapidated Bihar and worked to transform it into a developed and respected state,' Rajak added.
The Bridge and Its Significance
The Kacchi Dargah-Bidupur bridge, built at a cost of more than ₹5,000 crore, is a major infrastructure project linking North and South Bihar. The state government secured a loan of ₹3,000 crore from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), with the remaining ₹2,000 crore funded through its own resources. The decision to construct the bridge was taken in 2015 and its foundation stone was laid in 2016.
JD-U's Defence of the Naming Decision
Rajak framed the naming of the bridge as recognition not just of Nitish Kumar but of Bihar and its people as a whole. 'This is not about honouring Nitish Kumar; this is about honouring the entire state, and its people. The bridge is a symbol of remembering a person who, irrespective of their caste, creed, background, religion, and gender, took the people towards better conditions. That person is Nitish Kumar,' he said.
What Comes Next
With Prime Minister Modi set to dedicate Nitish Setu to the nation on 21 November, the ceremony is poised to sharpen the political contest in Bihar ahead of the next electoral cycle. The RJD is unlikely to let the naming controversy rest, and the exchange signals an escalating battle over the legacy of Bihar's development narrative.
Point of View
But it works because those scams remain resonant voter memories in rural Bihar. What is notable is the timing: with PM Modi set to personally dedicate 'Nitish Setu' on 21 November, the ceremony will generate national imagery that benefits both the BJP and JD-U ahead of the next Bihar assembly election. The RJD's demand for a 'Social Justice Bridge' framing, meanwhile, signals it intends to contest the development narrative on caste and equity grounds rather than cede the symbolic terrain.
NationPress
15 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Kacchi Dargah-Bidupur bridge being named 'Nitish Setu'?
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary announced that the newly constructed six-lane Kacchi Dargah-Bidupur Ganga bridge would be named 'Nitish Setu' in honour of former Chief Minister and JD-U president Nitish Kumar. The bridge is set to be dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Bihar visit on 21 November.
Why has the RJD opposed naming the bridge after Nitish Kumar?
RJD leader Rohini Acharya, daughter of party chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, objected to the naming and demanded the bridge instead be named after her father or called the 'Social Justice Bridge'. The RJD has challenged the JD-U's framing of Nitish Kumar as the architect of Bihar's development.
What is the cost and significance of the Kacchi Dargah-Bidupur Ganga bridge?
The bridge was built at a cost of more than ₹5,000 crore and connects North and South Bihar. Of the total cost, ₹3,000 crore was funded through an Asian Development Bank loan and ₹2,000 crore from state resources. The project was decided in 2015 and its foundation stone was laid in 2016.
What scams did JD-U's Shyam Rajak reference in his counter-attack?
Rajak invoked the fodder scam and the bitumen scam, both associated with the RJD's time in power in Bihar, to argue that those raising objections had no moral authority to decide whom public infrastructure should honour. He said those 'only known for corruption' had forgotten the state of Bihar before 2005.
When will PM Modi dedicate Nitish Setu to the nation?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Bihar on 21 November and will officially dedicate the Nitish Setu bridge to the nation, according to Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary's post on X.
