The Janata Dal (United) will hold a legislature meeting in Patna on Sunday, following which Nitish Kumar is likely to meet Govenor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and stake claim to form a new government in the state, according to sources.
The Janata Dal (United) will hold a legislature meeting at 10 am on Sunday amid heightened political turmoil in Bihar due to suspense that Nitish Kumar may once again align with the BJP-led NDA. Following the meeting, he is likely to meet Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and stake claim to form a new government before oath taking ceremony happens on Sunday evening or Monday morning, according to sources.
Earlier, sources informed India Today that Nitish Kumar may take oath as the Chief Minister of JD(U)-BJP alliance on Sunday, with BJP veteran Sushil Modi returning as his deputy.
Meanwhile, the Bihar BJP’s extended working committee and Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal have also called for a meeting at 4 pm and 1 pm, respectively, in Patna today. The RJD meeting will take place at Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav’s official residence at 5 Circular Road.
Here are the latest developments in this big story:
All BJP MPs and MLAs have been asked to attend today’s huddle, which will also see the party’s national general secretary and Bihar in-charge Vinod Tawde present.
Many BJP workers, however, are unhappy with rekindling ties with Nitish Kumar, who is known for switching sides, news agency ANI reported. Moreover, the BJP has rejected the idea of dissolving the state assembly and holding elections along with Lok Sabha polls in the state as the party believes factors such as the father-son duo of Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Nitish Kumar’s anti-incumbency may pose threat of the saffron party’s victory. Furthermore, BJP leaders have been asked not to make any statement regarding Nitish Kumar’s possible return to the NDA.
JD(U) leader Sanjeev Kumar and MLA Gopal Mandal said that party workers will stick with Nitish Kumar irrespecitve of what decision he makes. Sanjeev Kumar said nothing is decided yet, but whatever the JD(U) supremo settles on will be on “Bihar’s interest”, news agency ANI reported.
“He has been Chief Minister for 18 years, and we are fortunate to work with him,” he added.
Gopal Mandal, meanwhile, claimed that Nitish Kumar was “not respected and was being abused”. “Wherever our national president (Nitish Kumar) goes, we will follow him. JD(U) MLAs are strong, so it is not possible to break them. People can do anything to save their existence,” he told ANI.
Commenting on Bihar political crisis, Mukesh Sahani, president of Vikassheel Insaan Party, said that he is “not aware of anything” but stressed that the Mahagathbandhan government in the eastern state has “not fallen yet”. “Nitish Kumar-led Mahagathbandan government in Bihar is still there,” he told ANI.
Meanwhile, RJD MLA Ritlal Yadav on Friday said that no one can betray party boss Lalu Yadav, adding it does not matter whether the RJD will remain in power in Bihar or not. He said that work for the public will continue regardless of the outcome of the current political turmoil in Bihar.
“No one has betrayed our Lalu Prasad Yadav nor can anyone betray him. Only the public can betray him, otherwise, no one has that power. It doesn’t matter whether we are in the government or not, we will work for the people,” Ritlal Yadav told news agency ANI.
Union Minister and Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) chief Pashupati Kumar Paras on Friday asked people to “wait for 1-2 days” amid the Bihar political crisis. Speaking to reporters, he said that time is “more powerful than (an) individual” and with time, the situation of the state will become clearer.
Nitish Kumar’s possible return to the BJP-led NDA will be a jolt to the Opposition-headed INDIA alliance as he is a key member. On Friday, in an exclusive interview with India Today TV, Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav said that had Nitish Kumar stayed with the INDIA bloc, the JD(U) chief could have become the Prime Minister.
Akhilesh Yadav also accused Congress of not “missing enthusiasm” and not “coming forward” enough to keep the INDIA bloc members happy. Unsuccessful seat-sharing talks have caused a rift in the INDIA bloc, with Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister announcing recently that her party will go solo in the Lok Sabha elections in the state. She cited the failure of seat sharing discussion as the reason.
Nitish Kumar, as per sources, is also upset with the INDIA bloc due to failed seat sharing talks.
The ties between JD(U) and RJD that have been strained for a while now reached its peak after Lalu Yadav’s daughter Rohini Acharya on January 25 took to X to slam Nitish Kumar for his ‘dynasty politics’ remark. She has since deleted the tweet.
Sources told India Today that Nitish Kumar was offended by this. There have been concerns among the Bihar Chief Minister’s supporters as well that their Mahagathbandhan ally – RJD – may be undermining Nitish Kumar both in governance and politics.
There was heightened political activity at Lau Yadav’s residence in Patna on Friday, in which sources said that the RJD chief offered the post of Deputy Chief Minister to Jitan Ram Manjhi’s son, Santosh Manjhi, along with some Lok Sabha seats if he joined the Mahagathbandhan. However, in an exclusive conversation with India Today’s sister publication – Aaj Tak – Santosh Manjhi said he was not swayed by such offers. “We are with the NDA; such offers keep coming,” he added.
The Lalu Yadav camp has started calculations to reach the 122-mark required to remain in power in Bihar amid the political crisis.