NDA Ally’s Nitish Renaming Proposal Gets Cold Shoulder From JD(U)

JD(U) working president Sanjay Kumar Jha on Thursday appeared to brush aside a proposal from alliance partner Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) to rename Bakhtiyarpur, the birthplace of former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, after the veteran leader.

HAM national president and Bihar minister Santosh Kumar Suman had proposed renaming the town on the outskirts of Patna as “Nitishpur”, citing Kumar’s contribution to the state’s development and governance.

Responding to the suggestion, Jha thanked Suman for his sentiments but said Nitish Kumar has never believed in renaming places and has preferred to let his work speak for itself.

“My party and I thank him (Suman) for expressing such a sentiment. But Nitish Kumar has always let his work speak on his behalf. He has never believed in renaming places,” Jha said.

Jha also referred to the historical association of Bakhtiyarpur with Bakhtiyar Khilji, who invaded the region and is widely associated with the destruction of Nalanda’s ancient centre of learning.

“Let us bear in mind that merely changing the name of the place will not erase from history the fact that Bakhtiyar Khilji had invaded the land and set Nalanda, the ancient seat of learning, on fire,” Jha said.

The JD(U) leader, however, highlighted Nitish Kumar’s role in the revival of Nalanda through the establishment of the modern Nalanda University. He recalled former CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury’s observation in Parliament about the “glorious coincidence” of a son of Bakhtiyarpur helping revive Nalanda centuries after its destruction.

Suman had floated the renaming proposal in a post on X on Wednesday, arguing that Kumar’s life, political journey and memories were closely linked to Bakhtiyarpur. He said naming the town after the JD(U) leader would be an expression of respect for his contribution to Bihar and the sentiments associated with his birthplace.

Nitish Kumar, 75, is currently the JD(U)’s national president and a Rajya Sabha member. He was Bihar’s longest-serving chief minister before stepping down from the post in April after being elected to the Upper House.

The proposal also drew criticism from the RJD, the principal opposition party in Bihar and a political rival of Nitish Kumar.

RJD MLA Bhai Virendra mocked the suggestion, saying it was “preposterous” to rename Bakhtiyarpur after Nitish Kumar. He also sarcastically suggested that the next proposal from BJP allies could be to rename the country after Prime Minister Narendra Modi.