'Her husband made her the CM ... ': Why is Nitish Kumar mocking Rabri Devi, again and again?

NEW DELHI: Is Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar targeting opposition leader

Rabri Devi

with a purpose? Twice in the space of 15 days, Nitish Kumar has mocked Rabri Devi reminding her of the circumstances under which the RJD leader was made the chief minister of the state in 1997.
On Thursday, when Rabri Devi, along with other opposition members in the legislative council, targeted Nitish Kumar over the law and order situation in the state, the Bihar chief minister's counter was sharp and personal.
"Her husband (Lalu Prasad) made her the chief minister when he was placed under suspension," Nitish said referring to Lalu Prasad's move to make Rabri Devi the chief minister after he was forced to resign from the post following an arrest warrant in a fodder scam case.
Rabri Devi, a homemaker-turned-politician who is now the leader of the opposition in the Council, rose to register her protest, asserting that she could speak of achievements of her eight-year-long tenure as the chief minister.

Nitish Kumar then ticked her off with the Magahi phrase "chhoda na tohra kuchh maloom hai (you stay out of this. You know nothing about these matters)".
This was the second time that Nitish Kumar had singled out Rabri Devi on the issue and made a mention of how and why Rabri Devi was made the chief minister.
Earlier on March 7, during a heated debate over plight of women under the NDA government, Nitish had unleashed a broadside against the RJD in general and Rabri Devi in particular.
The Bihar chief minister surprised many with his choice of words to refer to former chief ministers Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi.
"Jab iske husband doob gaye to apni wife ko bana diya (When her husband began to sink, he installed his wife (in the CM's post))", Nitish had said.
So, why is Nitish Kumar harping on what happened 28 years ago? Is he trying to drive home some political message as the state gears up for assembly elections later this year?
Political analysts believe Nitish Kumar's barbs at Rabri Devi are an attempt to consolidate the support of women who have played a key role in his past electoral victories.
"Nitish Kumar is trying to send across a political message with his attacks on Rabri Devi. He wants to establish the narrative that while the RJD under Lalu Prasad had empowered women in his family, he has worked for the common women of the state announcing several schemes for them in the last two decades," says Kumar Vijay, a political analyst.
"Law and order and development schemes for women have been the strongest forte of Nitish Kumar and when the opposition starts attacking him on these fronts, the reaction is bound to be strong," he says.
Nitish Kumar faces one of the toughest assembly elections later this year. In the 2020 elections he was reduced to being the junior partner of the BJP in NDA alliance for the first time. This time around he needs to better his party's score to stay relevant.
In the last several elections, Nitish has got huge backing of women in Bihar riding on his women-centric schemes and especially after his prohibition move. The JD(U) chief knows that he needs their backing more than ever before. After all, women voers could play a key role in shaping his political fortunes.