Union home minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah on Sunday affirmed in a public rally that Nitish Kumar would lead the NDA in the Bihar Assembly polls this year.

Later in the day, Shah also attended a meeting of NDA partners chaired by Nitish at his 1, Aney Marg official residence in Patna, to discuss strategies, preparations and seat-sharing ahead of the polls.

“I appeal to people to once again elect the NDA government in Bihar under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Nitish Kumar. They will carry forward the momentum of growth in the state,” Shah declared at a public rally in Gopalganj.

On the choice facing voters, Shah contrasted the potential return to the “jungle raj” of RJD leaders Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi with the developmental path steered by Modi and Nitish.

Amid rumors of Nitish suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, Shah’s endorsement stressed the BJP’s support for him.

“Big businesses went away from Bihar during Lalu’s reign, but roads, electricity and tap water reached every village and home during the 20 years of Nitish’s rule while Modi provided houses, toilets, medicines and rations to the poor,” Shah added.

“The Lalu government conducted caste-based massacres, corruption... the fodder scam, bringing worldwide infamy to Bihar. They committed numerous scams — bitumen scam, flood relief scam, railway hotel scam, soil scam and railway jobs-for-land scam. They set records in committing scams,” Shah continued.

Shah, however, avoided discussing the deteriorating law and order in Bihar, where police efforts are mostly directed toward enforcing liquor prohibition. He ignored the fact that several leaders of the Bihar NDA, including the BJP, were busy promoting their families in politics.

Shah and Nitish also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for central and state government projects. Speaking at the event, Nitish expressed regret over his past alliances with the Opposition Mahagathbandhan and vowed to remain with the NDA in the future.