Bihar: Nitish Kumar may resign tomorrow, will form government with NDA; The political chessboard will be laid on this formula!

The period of speculation that has been going on for the last one week in Bihar politics is coming to an end on Saturday. There is a possibility that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar may announce separation from the Grand Alliance and form a new government with the NDA. He will go to Raj Bhavan and submit his resignation letter. After that, 82 MLAs of BJP and Hindustani Awam Morcha will submit letters to the Governor in support of him.

If everything goes according to the planned strategy, then on Sunday Nitish Kumar will take oath as the Chief Minister of the state for the eighth time. It was told that like before, there will be two Deputy Chief Ministers from BJP quota in the next government also. Sushil Kumar Modi can also be one of them. Political activities related to this reshuffle continued throughout the day on Friday.

Magic number 122
No official information was given to the Grand Alliance parties about Nitish’s next step till the evening. The government needs the support of 122 members for a simple majority in the 243-member Bihar Assembly. The majority figure is achieved with the support of 78 BJP MLAs, 45 JDU and four Hindustani Awam Morcha MLAs and independent Sumit Kumar Singh. Till August 10, 2022, Nitish’s government was running on the basis of this figure.

Sources said that Nitish Kumar was upset after receiving the information in December that RJD was active in ousting the government and forming a government under his leadership. However, no concrete evidence of this emerged. But, as a precaution, Nitish himself took command of JDU. With this, speculation started that they were going to change the alliance. His apparent difference of opinion with RJD was regarding Education Minister Chandrashekhar.

When the RJD leadership agreed to change his department, it was considered that the dispute ended. Here, the central government fulfilled Nitish’s old demand by giving the highest Bharat Ratna award to public leader Karpoori Thakur. The next day on January 24, at the birth centenary celebrations of Karpoori Thakur, the Chief Minister congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Bharat Ratna. He said that he has some more demands. He was referring to the demand for giving special status to the state. It is understood that soon the Central Government will give some concrete assurance regarding special status or special package to the state.

Discussion with colleagues
Before forming a joint government with Nitish Kumar, BJP consulted its allies. Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai met HAM founder Jitan Ram Manjhi and Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal president Upendra Kushwaha. Earlier, the top leadership of BJP had talked to LJP RA President Chirag Paswan. RLJP President Pashupati Kumar Paras had already agreed. After the consent of all four allies, BJP held talks with Nitish. Late evening Nitish discussed with his senior colleagues. It was decided that the next government should be formed with the NDA.

Cracks visible throughout the day today
There was a lot of turmoil in the Grand Alliance camps during the day and differences between JDU and RJD also came to the fore on many occasions. Even in the Republic Day celebrations in the morning, the distance between Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav was visible. Tejashwi did not come to the high tea party organized at Raj Bhavan. Building Construction Minister Ashok Choudhary sat on the chair earmarked for Tejashwi between the Chief Minister and the leader of the opposition. When the Chief Minister was asked why Tejashwi did not come to the function, he said that only those who did not come can answer this question.

Lalu is consulting
RJD supremo Lalu Prasad held consultations with his senior colleagues throughout the day on Friday. Many leaders including senior leader Shivanand Tiwari, MP Manoj Jha, Abdul Bari Siddiqui, Jaiprakash Narayan Yadav, Shyam Rajak were involved in it.

RJD sources rejected the possibility of trying to form the government. Said that we all are preparing for the Lok Sabha elections. BJP and Nitish Kumar will be answered only by the election results. Earlier, MP Manoj Jha had requested Nitish Kumar to explain his side in view of the discussions about reshuffle. There was no clarification from Nitish.