NEW DELHI: With the trust deficit between Bihar’s two ruling regional parties — the Janata Dal (United) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) — widening after social media posts against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar by RJD chief Lalu Yadav’s daughter on Thursday, the exit of the JD(U) from the grand alliance appears inevitable.
Well placed sources indicated that Nitish could re-embrace the NDA between January 26 and 29. Politics in the state could be in ferment by the time the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra enters Bihar on January 30. If Nitish doesn’t rock the boat till January 29, his defection could happen after February 4. He is expected to share the dais with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 4 in West Champaran at a government event.
Sources said the JD(U) is pressing the BJP for Nitish to stay as CM till the next assembly elections in 2025. It is okay with two deputy CMs from BJP. “But the BJP wants its opposite — a BJP CM and two deputy CMs from the JD(U). It is likely to be sorted out through negotiations,” said a Patna-based BJP leader. The BJP hopes to tap the 36% extremely backward classes (EBCs) vote bank that is under Nitish’s sway.
“Nitish ji has done a lot for voters of these classes. The EBCs are silent but deciding voters in Bihar. They are still more or less with Nitish,” admitted a BJP leader. The buzz on Nitish strengthened recently after Union home minister Amit Shah, responding to media queries on the CM’s possible re-entry into the NDA, said if any such proposal comes, the BJP will think it over. Earlier in the day, BJP leaders from Bihar arrived in Delhi for consultations with Shah. In what was seen as a critique of Nitish’s attack on dynastic politics, Lalu’s daughter put out tweets, obliquely targeting him, but later deleted them. The posts possibly gave Nitish the perfect excuse to bolt, said JD(U) sources.