PATNA: In a political upheaval brewing in Bihar, the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) government is on the precipice of collapse, with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar signalling a decisive shift away from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) towards his erstwhile ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
With the Janata Dal (United) supremo's presumed decision to abandon the coalition, the government is set to fall within the next day or two. While no official confirmation has surfaced, Bihar braces for yet another dramatic realignment in its political dynamics in the days ahead.
Nitish Kumar has convened a meeting of JD(U)’s legislature party on January 28 to take a final call on joining hands with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Sources said that all MPs, MLAs, and MLCs of the party have been asked to reach Patna to attend the meeting scheduled to be held at 1 Anne Marg, the official residence of the chief minister.
Nitish is also holding the post of JD (U) president. A senior JD(U) leader, on condition of anonymity, said, “All MPs and MLAs of the party have been asked to come to 1 Anne Marg on January 28 to discuss the latest political developments. Some important decisions may be taken at the legislative party meeting. It may be about snapping ties with RJD.”
Speaking to TNIE, JD(U) minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary remarked, "Nitish has not said he will remain with the 'INDIA' bloc as reported in a section of the media." Choudhary, a trusted confidant of the Bihar CM, clarified the stance amid media speculations.
On the other hand, RJD chief Lalu Prasad held a meeting of the core committee of the party at the residence of his wife and former chief minister Rabri Devi at 10 Circular Road. Lalu convened a meeting of the RJD legislature party on Saturday to take the next course of action if Nitish snapped ties with the RJD and joined hands with the BJP to form a new government.
Sources said that RJD may ask its MLAs to parade before Rajbhawan on Saturday to stake its claim for the formation of a new government in the event that Nitish resigns from the post of chief minister of the grand alliance government or recommends to dissolve the assembly.
RJD alone has 79 MLAs in the 243-member assembly.
Sources said that Lalu spoke to Speaker of the Assembly Awadh Bihari Choudhary over political upheavals in the state. Choudhary is an RJD MLA from Siwan and is considered close to Lalu.
RJD has already started efforts to explore possibilities for making Tejashwi, who is the deputy chief minister in Nitish Kumar's cabinet, as the new CM.
RJD, along with Congress and three Left parties, have 114 MLAs, short of only eight MLAs to reach a magic number of 122 in the 243-member assembly. On the other hand, JD(U) has 45 MLAs, the BJP’s 78 MLAs, and the support of one independent MLA, making it 124 MLAs in total.
Earlier in the day, Lalu tried to contact Nitish over the phone, but in vain. RJD vice president Shivanand Tiwari said, “I had sought an appointment with Nitish Kumar to discuss certain things. But there is no response from his side as yet.” Tiwari was assigned by the RJD supremo to discuss things with Nitish.
RJD MP Manoj Jha, on the other hand, asked Nitish to clear the confusion in the grand alliance after media reports suggested that Nitish may snap ties with RJD and the ‘INDIA’ bloc as well.
Jha said that only Nitish can clear up the mist on the issue, as confusion still persists. He had set Friday evening as the deadline for Nitish’s response.
The RJD MP, however, claimed that there was no problem with the Grand Alliance. When asked about RJD’s alleged attempt to engineer defection in JD(U) to form a new government, Jha shot back and commented, “We don’t indulge in such things.”
Responding to Jha’s queries, JD(U) MLC and chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said, “Nitish Kumar has never been in any confusion. He has always played on the front foot. He was neither in confusion in the past nor in the present time.” He, however, said that Nitish, as of now, is the chief minister of the Grand Alliance government.
Meanwhile, former Deputy Chief Minister and BJP Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Modi, while responding to media queries on the possibility of Nitish’s return to the NDA, said, “Doors are not permanently closed for anybody in politics. If necessary, doors can also be opened, but I can’t say whether doors will be opened for him (Nitish).”
On the other hand, Tejashwi skipped the high-tea party hosted by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at Rajbhawan on Republic Day. State Education Minister Alok Kumar Mehta was the only RJD leader to attend the party.
When asked about Tejashwi’s absence from the party, Nitish told media persons, "You should ask this question to those who were not present.” He, however, parried questions on JD(U) snapping ties with RJD to form a new government with the BJP.
