Patna, Jul 2 (IANS): Leaders of Bihar's ruling JD-U are upbeat after coalition ally BJP's top leadership made it clear that Nitish Kumar will remain Chief Minister till the 2025 Assembly elections, and went on to call him the

JD-U Parliamentary Board President Upendra Kushwaha on Saturday said: "Nitish Kumar is NDA and NDA is Nitish Kumar" in Bihar, evoking memories of one-time Congress President and former Bihar Goverment Dev Kant Barooah, who once said: "India is Indira and Indira is India", about then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

"Nitish Kumar has been the leader of NDA ever since it was formed on ground and he will remain as leader of the NDA until his NDA exists in Bihar. I want to tell those leaders who are living in misbelief ti avoid misleading our workers and supporters. It would give the wrong message among them. Those leaders should remember that the NDA is Nitish Kumar and Nitish Kumar is NDA in Bihar," he said.

Kushwaha's statement came in wake of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan coming to Patna, meeting Nitish Kumar, and publicly announcing that he will remain Chief Minister till the next Assembly elections.

The leaders of BJP's Bihar unit, especially state President Sanjay Jaiswal, were critical of the Nitish Kumar government in the past.