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Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar on 28 January resigned as Bihar chief minister after severing ties with the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ to break away from the ruling government. Nitish Kumar who left no stone unturned in uniting the opposition to take on PM Modi in the Lok Sabha polls has jumped ship once again back to the BJP-led NDA in less than 18 months. This also comes as the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections are due which is to be held within the next four months.
While speaking to reporters, Kumar said, “Today, I have resigned as the Chief Minister and I have also told the Governor to dissolve the government in the state. This situation came because not everything was alright…I was getting views from everyone. I listened to all of them. Today, the Government has been dissolved…”
Sources have told News18 that Kumar is likely to take oath as Bihar CM today itself at 4 pm. With this crossing over to the NDA, this would be the fifth time he would be switching sides.
Nitish Kumar had joined the Mahagathbandhan in August 2022, when he had snapped ties with the BJP accusing it of trying to “split” his JD(U). He formed a new government with a multi-party coalition that included RJD, Congress and three Left parties.
Nitish Kumar’s first switch was in 2013: The Nitish Kumar formed the government in the year 2005 in alliance with the BJP. He snapped ties from the BJP in 2013 as he was reportedly unhappy with PM Modi named as Prime Ministerial candidate. He later fought the 2014 Lok 2014 Lok Sabha polls alone wherein he bagged only two seats as compared to 18 in the 2009 polls.
2015 assembly elections with RJD: In 2015 assembly elections, he fought the elections in alliance with the RJD wherein the ‘mahagathbandhan’ won with majority numbers and Kumar claimed the CM’s seat. However, his dissatisfaction resurfaced again as Kumar found it difficult to accept his party’s diminished role within a broader coalition, where the RJD held the majority mandate. In 2017, following the allegations on Tejashwi Yadav of corruption, Nitish broke away from coalition and came back to BJP.
Nitish Kumar returned back to NDA in 2017: In 2017, he returned back to NDA wherein he 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 and to form the next government in Bihar with the support of seven parties, including RJD, Left and Congress. With now in 2024, Kumar has again left the ‘mahagathbandhan’ and the INDIA alliance and is set to join the BJP.
Current numbers in Bihar assembly:
In the Bihar Assembly of 243, the RJD has 79 MLAs; followed by the BJP at 78; JD(U) at 45, Congress at 19, the CPI (M-L) at 12, CPI(M) and CPI at 2 each, and the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular)’s at 4. Another two seats are with the AIMIM and an Independent.
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Published: 28 Jan 2024, 01:30 PM IST
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