Bihar is yet again witnessing political turmoil as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is likely to cross over to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) again, an alliance he left in 2022 to join hands with the Opposition and form ‘Mahagathbandhan’.
Several NDA leaders including former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi have indicated an alliance breakdown between Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) and Lalu Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar.
Besides, Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi said that the ruling Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) government will not last for long.
Why Nitish Kumar cannot be ignored by INDIA or BJP ahead of Lok Sabha Polls
Yesterday, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushil Kumar Modi said that the door can be opened if needed, indicating a possible revival of ties between Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar -led JDU and his former ally, the BJP.
Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal (RLJD) president Upendra Kushwaha on Friday said that there are enough indications that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is worried and disturbed in Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) and JDU chief might be thinking about exiting the bloc.
What numbers in Bihar Assembly look like if Nitish Kumar switches alliance?
Also, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan said that there is some stir in the state adding that it is a matter of time before the situation gets clear on whether Nitish Kumar led-JDU will realign with BJP-led-NDA.
Here are the top 10 updates on what’s happening in Bihar:
- On Friday, Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, who is also an RJD leader skipped the Republic Day celebrations at Raj Bhavan, where Nitish Kumar was present. The two didn’t exchange a word in the parade held in Patna soon after.
- RJD has asked Kumar to clear the air about reports that he is in talks with the BJP to join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
- Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that Kumar could become the prime minister if he remains with the INDIA bloc of the Opposition.
Is INDIA bloc splitting? Here what JD(U) advises Cong to keep alliance running
- The JD(U) has told PTI that the party is firmly with the Opposition bloc but it would like the Congress to do introspection on the alliance and seat sharing.
- Earlier this week, Nitish Kumar triggered a stir in the Bihar alliance when he talked about dynasty politics at an event on Karpoori Thakur’s 100th birth anniversary. Soon, Lalu Yadav’s daughter Roshni Acharya wrote a cryptic post on X. The BJP claimed she had called Kumar “badtameez”.
- Kumar has also been voicing his anguish over the way things were unfolding in the INDIA coalition, in which he was not offered the post of convenor until last month when he turned it down.
Is Nitish Kumar returning to NDA? A guide to what’s happening in Bihar politics
- Kumar has maintained that he has “no personal ambitions” while remaining critical of the “delay” in arriving at a seat-sharing deal.
- Meanwhile, the RJD has called a meeting of its legislators on Saturday, while the JD(U) scheduled its meeting on Sunday.
- A flashback of Nitish Kumar’s politics: The first time Nitish Kumar formed the government was in 2005 in alliance with the BJP. He snapped ties in 2013 and fought the 2014 Lok Sabha polls alone and the 2015 assembly elections in alliance with the RJD. In 2017, he returned to NDA. Kumar’s JD(U) contested the 2019 national polls and 2020 Bihar elections as part of the BJP-led grouping. But in 2022, Kumar quit the NDA to form the government again with the RJD, Congress, and Left parties.
- About current Bihar assembly status: The JD(U) has 45 members in the 243-member Bihar assembly while the NDA has 82. The RJD, Congress, and Left parties have 114 lawmakers. The RJD is the single-largest party with 79 MLAs. The halfway mark to form a government in Bihar is 122 seats.
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Published: 27 Jan 2024, 07:29 AM IST
