Fact Check: Bihar polls – Deputy CM Samrat calls CM Nitish Kumar useless? No, here are the facts
A video has been circulating online, claiming to show the Deputy CM Chaudhary calling CM Nitish Kumar ‘useless.’
By - Md Mahfooz Alam
Claim:Amid the ongoing 2025 Bihar polls, Samrat Chaudhary called Nitish Kumar useless in Bihar politics, which indicates a rift in the NDA.
Fact:The claim is misleading. Chuadhry’s statement is from 2023, when the BJP was in opposition and Nitish was running the Mahagathbandhan government, which included the JDU, RJD, Congress and others.
Hyderabad: Amid the ongoing Bihar elections, with polling scheduled for November 6 and 11, a video has been circulating on social media showing BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary calling Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ‘useless,’ suggesting a potential rift within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
With an alleged quote from Chaudhry, Congress leader Surendra Rajput shared the video with the caption, “Nitish Kumar has become scrap material in Bihar’s politics - Samrat.” (Archive)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is misleading, as the video is from 2023, when Kumar had left the NDA.
A reverse image search of the video’s keyframe led us to the same footage published by Bihar Tak on July 17, 2023, and Zee News on July 18, 2023. Both media outlets reported that Chaudhary, taking a jibe at CM Nitish Kumar, described him as useless.
Was Chaudhry the deputy CM to Nitish Kumar at that time?
Nitish Kumar had broken the alliance with the BJP on August 9, 2022, and had formed a government with the Mahagathbandhan, which included the JDU, RJD, Congress and the Left parties. At that time, Tejashwi Yadav was his Deputy Chief Minister, not Samrat Chaudhary.
In July 2023, Samrat Chaudhary was the state president of the BJP in Bihar, having been appointed to that position in March 2023. In opposition, during this period, Chaudhary was leading protests against Kumar’s government and was a vocal critic of the CM.
When did Chaudhry become Kumar’s deputy?
After Kumar returned to the NDA fold on January 28, 2024, Chaudhary, along with Vijay Sinha, was appointed as Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar.
What is the status of NDA fighting the 2025 Bihar polls?
The NDA has finalised its seat-sharing arrangement with JDU and BJP equally contesting 101 seats. Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) is contesting 29 seats, Rashtriya Lok Morcha and Hindustani Awam Morcha, 6 seats each.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah confirmed on October 17 that the alliance will contest the elections under the leadership of Kumar. However, he clarified that the decision on who will become the next Chief Minister will be made after the election results.
Therefore, we conclude that the viral clip of Samrat Chaudhary calling Nitish Kumar is from 2023, when Kumar had broken away from the NDA. It is being shared amid the ongoing 2025 Bihar polls to mislead the voters.
