Babulal Marandi, Jharkhand’s fiery opposition chief, went full throttle in praising Nitish Kumar on his Rajya Sabha nomination day. ‘Congratulations are too few for what he’s done for Bihar and society,’ Marandi beamed, stressing that Kumar’s decision shows governance trumps personal ambition.
From Parliament corridors where they both were ministers, to Bihar’s helm, Marandi has witnessed it all. Pre-millennium Bihar was a nightmare— terror reigned, militants roamed free, law collapsed, development was nonexistent. Doubts loomed: Can Bihar rise?
Nitish answered with action. He imposed discipline, restored order, fixed power supply ahead of others, and built a network of quality roads. ‘Bihar’s got direction now,’ Marandi affirmed. Brushing aside opposition barbs, he jabbed: ‘They can’t do what Nitish or BJP achieves, so they cry foul—like a dagger to the chest.’
Marandi didn’t spare Mamata Banerjee. Her Governor exit claims? Standard stuff. NRC opposition? It’s about Rohingyas: massive influx from Bangladesh, fake IDs, voter entries in Bengal, then dispersal across India. Deletions hurt her base.
As political alliances shift, Marandi’s robust support highlights Nitish’s enduring legacy of turning Bihar around, setting a benchmark for Indian states.