During the simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha elections 2024 in Odisha, the BJP raised questions about the health of Naveen Patnaik. Taking his health issues to the electoral battleground was certainly not out of concern. The saffron party made the voters believe that the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader was not able to lead them anymore.

As Bihar enters into election year, Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav and Jan Suraj Party founder Prashant Kishor are trying to imitate the formula of success in Bihar by setting a similar narrative for electoral gains. The RJD leader has been calling Nitish Kumar a ‘tired and retired’ politician, while election strategist-turned-politician has been raising doubts about Kumar’s mental health.

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In a major attack on the CM yesterday, Tejashwi said that Nitish Kumar is not in his senses and some retired officers are running the government. Now his son Nishant should come into politics and save the JDU from being hijacked by people of other ideologies, he remarked.

Raising questions on Kumar’s mental health, Kishor has also repeatedly said that his mental condition is not such that he should continue as Chief Minister of a state like Bihar. His gestures as well as way of talking and walking show that his mental condition is not sound enough. The Bihar Government should get him medically examined and clarify whether he is mentally healthy or not.

Continuing his scathing attack, Kishor has also challenged JDU leaders’ claim that Nitish Kumar is healthy. He said that he will accept that Kumar is healthy only if the Chief Minister could mention names and departments of his Cabinet colleagues without even looking at the papers.

The Opposition leaders’ claim seems to be gaining ground as Kumar has been caught on camera speaking or acting in strange manner at public gatherings.

Recently, he started clapping after paying floral tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his death anniversary. A few days ago, he sparked controversy with sexist remarks about women’s clothing, drawing criticism from Opposition leaders. Earlier, he even failed to hold bow and arrow during the Ravana Vadh organised on the occasion of Dussehra. Kumar’s repeated attempt to touch Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s feet at public functions has also drawn severe criticism.