Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Leader of the Opposition Rabri Devi were involved in a heated exchange in the Bihar Legislative Council on Tuesday, escalating their ongoing political rivalry. The clash occurred after members of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), led by Rabri Devi’s husband Lalu Prasad Yadav, entered the House wearing green badges with slogans crediting the “Tejashwi government” for increasing reservations for deprived castes in 2023. The slogans claimed that Nitish Kumar’s party had “stolen” the move after rejoining the BJP-led NDA.

A visibly angry Nitish Kumar sarcastically commented on the spectacle, drawing attention to the badges and mocking the RJD’s actions. When Rabri Devi stood up in protest, he swiftly dismissed her, calling her politically irrelevant and only notable for being the wife of Lalu Prasad Yadav. Using a Bihari slang, Kumar told her to sit down, questioning her political worth and implying that her role in politics was merely tied to her husband’s legacy.

Kumar’s remarks referred to Rabri Devi’s tenure as Bihar’s chief minister in 1997, when she took over the role after Lalu Prasad Yadav was forced to step down following his charge-sheeting in the fodder scam. Nitish Kumar continued his tirade, calling her “inconsequential,” claiming that she was propped up by her husband during a time of political crisis.

The confrontation between the two leaders comes after several months of verbal sparring. Earlier this month, Rabri Devi had accused Nitish Kumar of disrespecting women and consuming bhaang before Assembly sessions. The tensions flared again when a video of Nitish Kumar laughing during the National Anthem went viral, with Rabri Devi calling him “mentally unfit.” Nitish Kumar’s party, however, dismissed the criticisms as politically motivated.

As Bihar approaches its next election season, the bitter feud between Kumar and Rabri Devi continues to dominate the state’s political landscape, with both leaders seemingly at odds on multiple fronts.

IT.