PATNA, Oct. 18 -- Launching his election campaign in Bihar on Friday, Union home minister Amit Shah sought to dispel all misgivings by declaring that the NDA is fighting the elections in the leadership of long-standing chief minister Nitish Kumar. His assertion follows "rumours" about the alliance's "post-election selection of CM" after Shah answered a question on the subject during a TV interview on Thursday. Addressing a rally in Saran, Shah heaped praise on Kumar. He said that chief minister Nitish Kumar made Bihar free from 'jungle raj' in the last 20 years. "We are fighting under the leadership of Nitish Kumar in Bihar. This time, the people of Bihar have the opportunity to celebrate Diwali four times. The first one is the one that comes on the occasion of Lord Ram's return to Ayodhya. The second one has just finished. Nitish Ji and Modi ji have given Rs.10,000 to women in Bihar. Third Diwali is the reduction of GST on 395 products to 5 per cent and 0 per cent. The fourth Diwali will be celebrated when NDA will come with the biggest majority, sweeping away Lalu, Rahul and company," he said. Shah's reiteration on Nitish Kumar's leadership came as on Thursday during a TV programme, the Union minister had said in response to a question if Nitish Kumar would be made the CM that a decision on the CM would be taken after the Assembly elections in the meeting of the elected legislators. "Who am I to make anyone CM?" he asked. "Nitish Kumar has freed Bihar from Jungle Raj. PM Modi, over the last 11 years, has worked to develop Bihar. PM Modi's 11 years have been a blessing to the poor," he added. The JD (U) justified Shah. "He clearly stated that the NDA would go into the 2025 Bihar election under Nitish Kumar's leadership. He explained the procedure of selection," said union minister and JD (U) leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lallan Singh. Shah also took a swipe at the RJD for giving tickets to late gangster-turned-politician Mohammad Shahabuddin's son and made it clear that "Bihar will not be safe" if they (RJD) return to power. "How it (RJD) can ensure the security of the people of Bihar if it fields such candidates?" Shah asked. The RJD has fielded Shahab from the Raghunathpur assembly constituency in Siwan district. Later while talking to intellectuals in Patna, Shah pooh-poohed the RJD's promise of providing a government job to every household in the state by asking how could so much funds be generated for such a lofty venture that would need a hefty amount to pay salaries to so many public servants. "There are 2.8 crore families in Bihar. Approximately 20 lakh people have government jobs. Now, Tejashwi Yadav has promised that he will give government jobs to 2.6 crore families. But to provide so many jobs, Rs.12 lakh crore is needed, which is four times the budget of Bihar," he claimed. He said that this will be the first election in Bihar in which voting will continue till 5 pm across the state, which has now become free of Naxalites and promised that the new government's focus will be to bring heavy industries to the state and create large-scale employment opportunities. He also claimed the NDA government in the state has successfully curbed migration. "So much infrastructure work has been done in Bihar that it doesn't even take five hours to travel from one corner of Bihar to another. This development has been done together by PM Narendra Modi and CM Nitish Kumar. Before our government came here, migration, extortion, murders, and kidnappings were common," he said. He said that Bihar will become the growth engine of eastern India and lead the nation in the AI revolution. "Bihar moving forward to regain its lost glory," he said and urged the voters to opt for the "politics of performance", and dump "parties like Congress and RJD that promote dynasts". Lauding and raising Operattion Sindoor, Shah said that terrorists used to play Holi with blood during the UPA rule at the Centre, but the Modi government struck terror camps inside Pakistan....