New Delhi, Oct 24 (NationPress) During the campaign launch for National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidates, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised ally and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, potentially resolving a leadership dispute.

Similarly, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan demonstrated his respect for Kumar, bowing to touch the feet of the veteran leader during a poll event in Karpoorigram, Samastipur district.

At the campaign inauguration, Modi expressed his belief that the coalition under Nitish's leadership would surpass all previous mandates in Bihar.

In Begusarai, Modi reiterated his support for Kumar's years of effective governance, crediting the NDA for restoring stability to Bihar following the era of 'jungle raj.'

Contrasting the NDA’s governance record with what he termed as dynastic and corrupt politics from the Opposition, he emphasized Kumar’s pivotal role in the ruling alliance's development initiatives for the state. He promised enhanced industrial growth and job opportunities, urging voters to grant the NDA a significant mandate while Nitish stood beside him.

A recent comment from Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the NDA’s future Chief Ministerial candidate reignited leadership discussions. Shah indicated that the decision would be left to the elected MLAs after the elections, a common procedural response.

However, the Opposition interpreted his statement as a sign of uncertainty regarding Nitish Kumar's future role post-elections. Concurrently, ongoing seat-sharing negotiations among NDA allies have led to speculation that Chirag Paswan, reportedly dissatisfied, might contemplate pursuing an independent path again, reminiscent of his actions during the 2020 Assembly elections.

The NDA’s two major parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (United), have agreed to contest 101 seats each, with allies LJP (RV) receiving 29 seats, and six each for the Hindustani Awam Morcha and Rashtriya Lok Morcha.

Reports suggested that this allocation was significantly lower than what Chirag had envisioned for his party candidates, igniting discussions about him potentially leaving the NDA to field candidates in at least half of Bihar’s 243 Assembly constituencies. While such actions have not materialized, discussions regarding perceived dissatisfaction within LJP (RV) persist.

In 2020, Chirag publicly opposed Nitish Kumar, accusing him of misgovernance and corruption. Nonetheless, he maintained his loyalty to Prime Minister Modi, referring to himself as Modi's Hanuman during that period.

Despite the fallout, Chirag rebounded in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, achieving a perfect strike rate with his LJP (RV) candidates winning all five seats contested in alliance with the NDA. Following this success, he made several attempts to foster a working relationship with Nitish, although undercurrents of tension were occasionally evident.