Nitish Behind Bihar's Economic Woes, Never Tried Like Stalin To Draw Investment: Tejashwi To NDTV

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Friday launched a scathing attack on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, holding him responsible for the state's economic distress and high migration rate.

In an exclusive interview with NDTV's Editor-in-Chief Rahul Kanwal in Purnea, Tejashwi accused the CM of lacking the will and initiative to attract investment and stalling economic development in the state.

Tejashwi criticised Nitish for allegedly taking insufficient efforts to draw foreign investment in Bihar, and compared his efforts with those of leaders like Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin and Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu.

"Nitish never tried going out and bringing investments," Yadav asserted. "Look at Stalin, he goes out and brings investment for his state. Even Chandrababu Naidu goes to Delhi and brings in investment, but Nitish ji has never done this."

Tejashwi argued that for Bihar to industrialise, the government must address key requirements like law and order and energy availability. However, the incumbent government "lacks the will power", he alleged.

The RJD leader also recalled the 17 months period between 2022 and 2024, when he was in power as the Deputy CM in the Nitish-led Mahagathbandhan government. "We have given jobs to 5 lakh people. The work I have done in those 17 months must be 5% of my ability, but we gave jobs, made tourism policies… Look at the CM now, he can't even attract investors," Yadav said.

Notably, Nitish had severed ties with the BJP in mid-2022 and rejoined hands with the RJD and Congress. However, the coalition lasted barely one-and-a-half years as Nitish returned to the NDA fold.

The RJD leader dismissed the narrative that long queues of women meant votes for the BJP. He argued that women were voting against migration.

"The mothers who were standing in the line, they wanted their son to come back and work in Bihar. Same with sisters who were standing in the line, they want their husbands to come back and work here. They don't want to meet them only during Chhath Puja and festivals. Nitish Kumar did nothing to check migration."

Tejashwi highlighted Bihar's talent exodus, citing Kota, where "student, teacher, guards everyone is from Bihar."

He suggested that if the state government allotted 2,000 acres of land, such hubs could be established within Bihar. He further dismissed the argument that Bihar is failing to draw investment due to land acquisition issues, saying that such challenges can be resolved if the government is willing.

However, Tejashwi refrained from commenting on Nitish's health, saying that he has sympathies regarding his health and that he won't criticise him on that basis. "That is not my kind of politics," he stated.