Uncertainty hovering over Bihar politics in the last few days finally ended on Sunday as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar submitted his resignation to the Governor and formed a new government in the evening, with the BJP’s support.
Nitish Kumar took oath as chief minister of Bihar for the ninth time amid chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ in Rajendra Mandapam hall of Raj Bhawan. Two Deputy CMs from BJP Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, and six other ministers including Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Santosh Kumar Suman, Shrawan Kumar and others also took the oath today.
Bihar Governor Rajendra Arlekar has accepted the formation of the NDA government in Bihar after Nitish Kumar submitted his resignation this morning. Severing ties with the RJD, Nitish will once again form a government, this time with the BJP. The party has chosen two deputy CMs — Vijay Sinha and Samrat Choudhary. The swearing-in ceremony of the new Bihar government will take place at 5 pm today, BJP national secretary Vinod Tawde said.
Shortly after Nitish resigned, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the JD(U) chief to congratulate him. Speaking to reporters outside the Raj Bhavan, Nitish said that he has left the Opposition’s INDIA alliance as no work was being done there. He added that a new alliance will be formed. Nitish’s flip-flop has created a dent in the INDIA alliance, with many in the Opposition criticising him.
He has also effectively severed ties with the Mahagathbandhan coalition, which included the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress. Kumar has opted to return to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), a coalition led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), indicating a shift in his political alliances.
It was earlier speculated that Nitish would dump the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan yesterday he had joined less than 18 months ago in a major blow to the I.N.D.I.A bloc that is gasping to keep the Opposition flock together.
Nitish Kumar held a meeting of JD(U) legislators at 10 am at his residence in Patna where he announced his decision to end the alliance with the RJD and quit the Opposition’s bloc. Nitish Kumar sought time to meet the Governor. He tendered his resignation to the Governor and later joined NDA.
Notably, the Bihar CM had maintained deafening silence over his next move in the last few days since ever the rift in the Mahagathbandhan came out wide in the open.
On Saturday, the RJD held a key meet in Patna, where Lalu Yadav, his son and Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav and several other leaders participated, and took stock of the current situation in the state while also chalking out a future course of action.
Janata Dal (United)’s political adviser and spokesperson KC Tyagi said in the national capital yesterday that the I.N.D.I.A bloc was on the verge of collapse. He also alleged that the Congress leadership had repeatedly insulted Nitish Kumar who had brought all “anti-Congress” parties on a single platform in the Patna meeting of the Opposition in June last year. “The I.N.D.I.A bloc is on the verge of collapse. The alliance of INDIA bloc parties is almost over in Punjab, West Bengal and Bihar,” he said.
This move marks a significant political shift in Bihar’s landscape. This potential alliance with the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections holds implications not only for Bihar but also for the broader national political scenario, as it could reshape power dynamics and alliances within the state and beyond.
The JDU had contested the last assembly elections in 2020 with the BJP. After the elections, the RJD emerged as the largest party, with 75 seats. The BJP bagged 74 while JDU won 43 seats in the 243-member Bihar Assembly. After retaining the state for yet another term, the JDU and BJP formed the government.
However, Nitish Kumar parted ways from the NDA and formed a grand alliance with Lalu Yadav’s RJD, the Congress and Left parties in 2022. Nitish Kumar was also a key member of the Opposition’s I.N.D.I.A. bloc.
