Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar looks set to exit the ruling mahagathbandhan in the State as well as the Opposition’s INDIA bloc and return to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Mr. Kumar had played a crucial role in shaping the INDIA bloc.
It was on Wednesday that the West Bengal and Punjab Chief Ministers announced that the Trinamool Congress and the AAP would contest the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha poll in their respective States on their own.
Mr. Kumar is not likely to attend Rahul Gandhi’s ongoing Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, which is scheduled to enter north Bihar in Kishanganj on January 29. The Congress had earlier invited Mr. Kumar to participate in the party’s public meeting in neighbouring Purnea on January 30.
The political developments, meanwhile, intensified in Bihar on January 25 with the usual bonhomie between Cabinet colleagues and officials missing at the government’s Cabinet meeting that lasted only for about 15 minutes. Sources in the meeting told The Hindu that “the usual verve between Ministers from the JD(U) and ruling alliance partner the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) was clearly missing”. The officials too came out hurriedly once the meeting was over.
Soon after, three consecutive posts on social media platform X by Rohini Acharya, the Singapore-based daughter of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, set off speculation on the rift between the ruling allies the JD(U) and the RJD.
“Only those whose ideology changes with the blow of wind claim to be a socialist veteran,” wrote Ms. Acharya in Hindi in one of her posts obliquely directed at Mr. Kumar. She put another post saying, “people who cannot see their own shortcomings but continue to throw mud at others with impudence”. Her third post said: “What outrage will be there when somebody who is undeserving is given prominence? Who can question the method where there is deceit in one’s own intentions?”
Ms. Acharya, however, deleted her posts after an hour but by then, it had stirred the buzz of rift between the two alliance partners.
Later, Mr. Kumar and Mr. Prasad met their top party leadership in Patna. The duo asked the leaders and legislators to reach Patna and remain there for a few days.
Attack on dynastic politics
On January 24, while addressing a party function on the occasion of veteran socialist leader Karpoori Thakur’s birth centenary in Patna, Mr. Kumar made a scathing attack on leaders who follow “dynastic politics”. In the State’s political circles, it was said that Mr. Kumar’s cryptic remarks were directed at ally RJD chief Lalu Prasad and the Congress.
When reached for comments, JD(U) sources told The Hindu that “whatever decision their leader Nitish Kumar will take, it will be in the interest of Bihar”. However, RJD leaders requesting anonymity said, “whenever Mr. Kumar has to take a political U-turn, he uses such language and words like ‘Bihar’s interest’ and ‘voice of inner conscience’ …Let’s see what comes around and how”.
Fifth turnaround
However, the buzz in State’s political circles is that Mr. Kumar would be taking another political U-turn on or before January 29 to come out of the ruling mahagathbandhan and INDIA bloc and return to the NDA. If so, it will be Mr. Kumar’s fifth turnaround since November 2005, while being the Chief Minister. Last, he had severed ties with the BJP in August 2022 to join hands with the RJD, the Congress and other Left parties to form the grand alliance and also to remain in power.
Sources in the JD(U) said that he has been upset over the lack of clarity in the INDIA bloc regarding preparedness for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha poll. “Yes, it is regarding delay in seat sharing which has further aggravated the situation,” said a senior JD(U) leader preferring anonymity.
Meanwhile, the BJP’s top leadership has summoned senior State party leaders, including party chief Samrat Choudhary, to New Delhi for meetings.
The State BJP leaders, requesting anonymity, told The Hindu that the party would “accept Mr. Kumar only if he resigns from the post of Chief Minister in favour of a BJP leader”. “In such a scenario dissolution of the State Assembly could be an option,” they added.
