Patna, July 26: Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav over the latter’s “selected Chief Minister” remark, asserting that members of the Yadav family themselves had occupied constitutional posts through “selection.”
Addressing the News18 Diamond States Summit in Patna, Chaudhary accused former chief ministers Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi, along with Tejashwi Yadav, of holding positions without direct electoral selection to those offices.
“People say that Samrat Chaudhary is a selected Chief Minister. I want to remind them of history,” the chief minister said.
“Lalu Yadav was selected when he became Chief Minister. Rabri Devi also became Chief Minister through selection. And Tejashwi Yadav also became Deputy Chief Minister through selection,” he said.
“A family with three selected members has no right to speak,” Chaudhary added.
Turning to governance and infrastructure, the chief minister said Bihar’s development journey began under the state’s first Chief Minister Shri Krishna Singh, while former chief minister Karpoori Thakur strengthened the state’s social structure. He credited Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with giving fresh momentum to Bihar’s development after Shri Krishna Singh.
Recalling his early days in politics, Chaudhary said poor road infrastructure once severely hampered connectivity in the state.
“When I first became an MLA, I couldn’t travel more than 20 kilometres a day in my constituency,” he said.
He credited Nitish Kumar’s vision for road development, supported by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with transforming Bihar’s connectivity.
“Today, people from any corner of the state can reach Patna within four to five hours,” he said.
Highlighting the government’s future roadmap, Chaudhary said the state is now focusing on expanding air connectivity by developing airports in key districts. He also said the government is opening new colleges and universities, encouraging industrial investment and creating employment opportunities for the youth.
Appealing to the Bihar diaspora, the chief minister urged entrepreneurs and professionals working outside the state to contribute to Bihar’s economic growth.
“Those doing business in other states and countries should come to Bihar and play their part in enriching their homeland,” he said.
The remarks came amid an intensifying political exchange between the ruling NDA and the opposition RJD ahead of the upcoming electoral contest, with both sides trading barbs over governance, leadership and development in the state.
