Bihar Opposition Criticises Nitish Kumar’s Samriddhi Yatra and Early Budget Date, Calls Moves Politically Motivated

The opposition Mahagathbandhan in Bihar has raised questions about the timing of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s ongoing Samriddhi Yatra and the state government’s decision to present the annual budget on February 3, alleging that both moves are politically motivated rather than driven by administrative necessity.

Leaders from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress suggested that the overlap between the outreach tour and the early budget schedule points to pressure on the chief minister from his senior ally at the Centre and junior partner in the state, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The opposition claims that the yatra and the budget timeline together reflect Kumar’s attempt to assert his political authority before his allies.

RJD MP from Buxar, Sudhakar Singh, said the Samriddhi Yatra was more a demonstration for alliance partners than a genuine public engagement. “Everyone knows the people of Bihar voted overwhelmingly for the NDA in Nitish Kumar’s name. But with BJP leaders starting to challenge him, he is spending time on this tour instead of focusing on promises made in the recent Assembly elections. This yatra ahead of the budget is essentially a show of strength aimed at the BJP and LJP,” Singh said.

The Bihar legislature’s budget session is scheduled to begin on February 2 with the Governor’s address, and Finance Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav is set to present the annual budget the following day. Singh pointed out that last year, when the NDA was also in power, the budget was presented on March 3 by then Finance Minister Samrat Choudhary, who is now the state’s Home Minister.

“Advancing the budget date suggests that Nitish is unsure of what Bihar will receive from the Centre. Why rush to present the budget immediately after the Union Budget? Traditionally, state budgets follow discussions on the Union Budget. What is the hurry?” Singh asked.

RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari echoed these concerns, saying that BJP began asserting influence over Nitish Kumar soon after the Assembly polls. “First, they took two deputy chief minister posts from their quota and then assumed the key Home Ministry, traditionally held by Nitish. This yatra seems like an act of political desperation,” he said.

The ruling Janata Dal (United) dismissed the opposition’s claims, accusing it of political frustration. JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said the RJD-led alliance is unable to accept Nitish Kumar’s strong electoral mandate.

“Through this tour, Nitish Kumar is addressing the people’s issues across regions and reviewing the performance of existing schemes. I don’t understand why the Opposition is upset about the budget being presented on February 3,” he said, adding that the budget would help identify unmet needs that could later be addressed through supplementary grants.

“The Opposition is rattled by the chief minister’s popularity, which is why they are indulging in baseless criticism,” the JD(U) spokesperson said, framing the controversy as an attempt to politicize governance rather than engage in a substantive debate on fiscal procedure.