From Lohia’s Socialist Student to Political Survivor: The Many Reinventions of Nitish Kumar

As Bihar moves toward the decision day for the 2025 Assembly elections, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar—often described as the “engineer-turned-politician”—faces perhaps the toughest challenge of his career: convincing voters that he still stands for principles, not just power.  

Leading the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Kumar remains both the coalition’s strongest face and its most polarising figure, the leader carrying the dual weight of incumbency and expectation

Socialist roots and early activism

Nitish Kumar, born in 1951 in Bakhtiyarpur, Bihar, began his political journey in the mid-1970s during Jayaprakash Narayan’s “Total Revolution” movement, which aimed to challenge corruption and authoritarianism.

Over the years, he aligned himself with the socialist ideals of Ram Manohar Lohia, whom he often cites as a major influence for his emphasis on social justice, cleanliness, and decentralised governance.

Kumar has often said that his political philosophy is shaped by Lohia’s “Sapt Kranti” (Seven Revolutions) and Jayaprakash Narayan’s “Total Revolution,” both of which continue to guide his approach to governance.

His insistence on being a “disciple of Lohia” is also reflected in his personal lifestyle — marked by simplicity and modesty. He reportedly lives frugally.

Days With Lalu

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Nitish Kumar worked closely with Lalu Prasad Yadav, who was then emerging as a formidable force in Bihar politics. Kumar helped Lalu become Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly in 1989. The partnership held during the early days of the Mandal era when both men pushed for backward caste representation.

However, by 1993-94 the relationship had fractured. CConcerned by Lalu’s growing dominance within the Janata Dal and the perception that the party leadership was neglecting broader backward‐class interests, Kumar broke away to establish the Samata Party with George Fernandes in 1994.

From that point onwards, the two men became political rivals — at times allies of convenience, but more often adversaries in the shifting landscape of Bihar politics.

Kumar’s shifting alliances soon became a defining feature of his career. He joined forces with the BJP in 1996, went on to become Chief Minister in 2005 by ending 15 years of Lalu’s rule, later teamed up again with Lalu’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in 2015, and then parted ways once more in 2017 to return to the BJP-led coalition.

This pattern of realignment has earned him both admiration and criticism — praised by some for his political agility, yet derided by others as opportunistic. His frequent changes of allegiance have even earned him the nickname “Paltu Ram” among detractors, a nod to his reputation for political about-turns.

Since then, Nitish Kumar’s political career has been a masterclass in survival and adaptability. He joined hands with the BJP in the mid-1990s, helped unseat Lalu’s regime in 2005, later allied again with Lalu in 2015, only to walk out and return to the BJP-led alliance in 2017. This constant switching also cemented his image as one of India’s most pragmatic—if unpredictable—politicians.

Today, Kumar’s greatest challenge is not a rival, but fatigue. After nearly two decades in power, voters are questioning whether his model of governance — characterised by infrastructure expansion, prohibition policies, and caste-based outreach — still holds relevance. The state continues to grapple with unemployment, migration, and poor educational standards, while an increasingly restless youth demands change.

As the 2025 elections draw near, Nitish Kumar must once again attempt the political reinvention that has long defined his career — balancing his Lohia-inspired ideals with the realpolitik that has kept him at Bihar’s helm. Whether he can still convince voters that he embodies both integrity and progress may determine not only his political legacy, but also the next chapter in Bihar’s history.