According to sources, the high leadership of the Bihar BJP has imposed a gag order for the state unit notwithstanding their scepticism regarding Nitish Kumar’s return.
Patna: With the probable departure of a third important leader, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the INDIA alliance looks to be about to come apart. According to sources, Mr. Kumar is probably going to do a last-minute U-turn and support the BJP in the next Lok Sabha elections. In the past 48 hours, two prominent figures, Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal, have said that they will not form an alliance with the Congress and will instead campaign independently in Bengal and Punjab.
This would be Mr. Kumar’s fifth camp switch at the age of 72. He has been vacillating between the NDA and the mahagathbandhan since 2013, all the while maintaining his official employment. Only three years after leaving the Grand Alliance and joining the NDA, he made his final side transfer in 2022.
The breach has been widening for several weeks now, as evidenced by the Chief Minister’s cutting remarks about dynastic politics and Lalu Yadav’s daughter’s following social media reaction, which was later removed. Even while the Chief Minister’s Party, the Janata Dal United, refuted Mr. Kumar’s remarks today, they were perceived as a slight on ally Lalu Yadav and his son Tejashwi Yadav.
Mr. Kumar’s silence over the Congress invitation to the Bharat Jodo Yatra yesterday cast doubt on his appearance and sparked concerns about the cohesiveness of the Opposition front.
Sources claimed Mr Kumar has been angry by the lack of clarity in INDIA bloc’s poll preparations and being passed over as a probable Prime Ministerial candidate. Even more frustrating had been the postponement of the seat-sharing negotiations for the Lok Sabha elections.
It seems that the Bharat Ratna ceremony held by the Centre for former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur was a prearranged turning point.
The party’s top leadership has made up its decision and issued a gag order for the state unit, according to sources, despite the fact that state BJP leaders are dubious about Nitish Kumar’s comeback. According to insiders, state leaders have received a clear directive not to disparage the Chief Minister.
Taken aback, the ruling coalition has been attempting to appease the irate chief minister. Lalu Yadav has already called Mr. Kumar, according to sources. Leaders of the Rashtriya Janata Dal have gathered in Patna. In an attempt to persuade Mr. Kumar to join the Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra when it reaches Bihar, the Congress is also attempting to get on the hotline.
This would be a major setback for the INDIA alliance, which is finding it difficult to intensify its strategy, settle on seat sharing, and continue with its campaign.
Nitish Kumar played a pivotal role in bringing together different parties such as the Aam Aadmi Party and the Trinamool Congress, which held divergent views from the Congress, in order to form the Opposition front. With one foot out of the camp now, the future of this arrangement is in doubt.