New Delhi: NDA's ally and Janata Dal (United) supremo Nitish Kumar on Tuesday broke off ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party once again to form an alliance with his political opponent Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal, paving the way for a 'Mahagathbandhan 2.0' ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
However, political analysts say there is a major difference between Nitish's exit from the NDA during 2013 and now in 2022.
The JD(U) supremo breaking alliance with the BJP in 2013 and now in 2022 is enough to tell what and how much the former still holds relevance as a leader in the politics of Bihar?
In 2013, Nitish Kumar had left the BJP following his protests against the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi but at that time instead of resigning from the Chief Minister's post, he had dismissed the then Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, including all the ministers from the BJP quota, from his government. At that time the BJP had said that the JD(U) leader left the NDA alliance in a haste.
But in 2022, Nitish Kumar's exit from the NDA is extremely clear. What political decision would he take was predicted in the political circles for a long time?
BJP leaders were fully aware this time that the JD(U) supremo was going to leave the NDA alliance in Bihar but it was quite surprising that the saffron party did not make any effort to persuade him from leaving the NDA alliance.
On Monday, sources from the JD(U) planted news reports that a senior BJP leader had spoken to Nitish Kumar before him breaking away from the NDA alliance. However, these reports were immediately denied by the BJP.
This time the BJP did not try to persuade the Bihar Chief Minister for several reasons since the former felt that the latter had already made up his mind to expand his political ambitions in national politics and for this he had to seek help and join hands with Lalu Prasad Yadav in Bihar and the Congress in New Delhi.
According to the BJP, the popularity of Nitish Kumar has reduced considerably in Bihar during the last few years.
A top Bihar BJP leader says that the results of the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections have proved that Nitish Kumar's sway on the people of the state has reduced and the people is now looking at the BJP as an alternative party to JD(U).
A BJP leader went a step further while criticising the Bihar Chief Minister, saying that the latter was harming the interests of Bihar due to his political ambitions, selfishness and stubbornness.
Considering the future political prospects and Nitish's stubborness, the BJP leaders did not make any effort to persuade Nitish Kumar to remain in the NDA alliance and save the coalition government in Bihar.
However, it is evident from the political statements made by Union Ministers Giriraj Singh and Ashwini Choubey and Bihar BJP President Sanjay Jaiswal, including other party leaders that the BJP is going to campaign in Bihar on a mass level and will come up with a strategy to take revenge from Nitish Kumar. —IANS

NDA's ally and Janata Dal (United) supremo Nitish Kumar on Tuesday broke off ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party once again to form an alliance with his political opponent Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal, paving the way for a 'Mahagathbandhan 2.0' ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

 Why didn't BJP try to stop Bihar CM Nitish Kumar from leaving NDA alliance?

Bihar

Patna: With a Mahagatbandhan government under Nitish Kumar on the cards for the second time, speculation over the contours of the new dispensation has started doing the rounds.
According to sources, the new JD-U-led government is likely to have the same shape as the previous one. Tejashwi Yadav is tipped to be Deputy Chief Minister again, and might get a key portfolio such as Road Construction.
The RJD is also said to be angling to get the Home portfolio, while it is expected that the Speaker's post may go to it. Meanwhile, it is likely the party's Abdul Bari Siddiqui will get Finance while Sunil Kumar Singh could be the Cooperatives Minister.
Like the last time, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad's eldest son Tej Pratap Yadav could be made a minister, but might not be given a crucial portfolio like Health, as was the case earlier.
RJD's Shyam Rajak is also tipped to be made a minister again, and get the same Food and Civil Supplies portfolio.
There is unlikely to be much major change in the charges of the JD-U ministers, and most of them are expected to retain their existing portfolios.
The Congress is likely to get four berths and Congress Legislature Party chief Ajit Sharma is a strong contender.
Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist-Liberation has decided not to join the government and extend outside support only. —IANS

With a Mahagatbandhan government under Nitish Kumar on the cards for the second time, speculation over the contours of the new dispensation has started doing the rounds.

 Lalu Prasad's both sons set to return as Bihar ministers

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who was on Wednesday sworn in for the eighth time, asserted that the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi needs to 'worry' about its prospects in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.&nbsp;
Talking to reporters shortly after he was administered the oath of office by Governor Phagu Chauhan, Kumar also rubbished the Bharatiya Janata Party's claim that the new government will not last its full term, and said his former ally 'will be back where they were after the 2015 assembly polls'.&nbsp;
Kumar was sworn in besides Rashtriya Janata Dal's Tejashwi Yadav, who is likely to be designated as his deputy.
Sources in the seven-party ruling coalition said that a cabinet expansion would take place later.&nbsp;
Leaders of the BJP, which is the second largest party in the assembly with 77 MLAs, were conspicuous by their absence at the swearing in ceremony that took place inside the Raj Bhavan.
Earlier, senior BJP leader and former Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi had claimed that the party, with which Kumar broke his alliance the previous day, had received 'no invitation'. —PTI

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who was on Wednesday sworn in for the eighth time, asserted that the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi needs to 'worry' about its prospects in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls

'Worry' about 2024 polls: Nitish's warning to BJP

Patna: The leaders of the 'Mahagathbandhan' headed by Lalit Yadav brought a no-confidence motion against present Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Singh. A letter signed by 50 MLAs of the 'Mahagathbandhan' was submitted before the secretary of the Bihar Vidhan Sabha on Wednesday. With this, Vijay Kumar Sinha has to prove the majority inside the Assembly to retain his position as Speaker. If he does n... At present, the BJP has 77 MLAs, which is not good enough for Sinha to survive in the Speaker's post.
In the new government, Awadh Bihari Chaudhary, who is the senior most MLA of the RJD, is in the frontrunner for the post of Speaker. As per the negotiation between the Janata Dal (United) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the latter will take the post... —IANS

The leaders of the 'Mahagathbandhan' headed by Lalit Yadav brought a no-confidence motion against present Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Singh.

 Mahagathbandhan brings no-confidence motion against Bihar Speaker Vijay Sinha

New Delhi: Nitish could emerge as the pointsman in the opposition unity if a non-Gandhi is propped up for a joint opposition. The Bihar coup is directly linked with Nitish Kumar’s smartly crafted national ambition without mentioning it from his side, but letting speculation around.&nbsp;
Bihar has 40 Lok Sabha MPs and the joint opposition could get a majority of seats which may also impact the Uttar Pradesh politics. Nitish is a prominent OBC Kurmi, and the community can impact the BJP prospects as they have been key to BJP’s success in Uttar Pradesh. If a Kurmi OBC is propped up then with Yadavas a joint force could be formed to take on the BJP with the help of minorities.&nbsp;
Though the NDA won majorly from Bihar during the Lok Sabha polls in Bihar in 2019, Nitish Kumar’s withering away from the BJP could impact the new political formation.
While Kumar may be silently working for a bigger leap to the Centre, there are others also in the race. Sharad Pawar is one among them. However, the happenings in Maharashtra where his idea of MVA fell out of power, has affected his political pace.
The Congress leaders do not want to comment on the 2024 situation. But they insist that any formulation will be led by the Congress, which is the biggest block in terms of numbers in the Lower House, and the Congress will lead any coalition that will be like the UPA.
Mamata Banerjee too is a contender for the space, but the BJP is trying hard to limit her to West Bengal only, which could hamper her game. She does not have a mass appeal in the Hindi heartland and does not belong to OBC either.
Any division in OBC only can stop BJP in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, which has a combined strength of 120 MPs, and the BJP is quite strong in the region.
Political analysts say that arithmetically it may seem to be good, but the ‘Hindu’ politics is tilted towards the BJP.
The BJP, despite stiff opposition, got a sizeable number of OBC votes and saying that the OBC will shift towards the opposition is very early to predict, say analysts.
Though BJP has rejected this contention, Sushil Modi claimed that Nitish Kumar is aiming to become the Prime Ministerial candidate for the opposition in the 2024 Lok Sabha election and challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Bihar leader said, “he can’t challenge Narendra Modi. He does not have the capacity to challenge him.”
“For Nitish Kumar, becoming a Prime Minister is a distant dream. BJP will come with a thumping majority in the 2024 Lok Sabha election and Narendra Modi will become the Prime Minister for the third time,” Sushil Modi said.
BJP Rajya Sabha member and his former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi termed his allegations against the BJP as “lies”.
“Nitish Kumar levelled serious allegations on BJP that the latter was involved in breaking his party. This is an absolute lie which Nitish Kumar and his party’s national President Lalan Singh are claiming. BJP was not involved in breaking the JD(U),” Modi said in his tweet.
He also denied Nitish Kumar’s allegation that the BJP made then JD(U) leader R.C.P. Singh Union Minister without his approval.
“This is also a lie. It was Nitish Kumar who gave the approval to R.C.P. Singh to become a minister in the Narendra Modi government,” Sushil Modi said, alleging that Nitish Kumar was searching for excuses to exit the NDA, and hence, “he took the help of lies and levelled false allegations against the BJP”.
—IANS

Nitish could emerge as the pointsman in the opposition unity if a non-Gandhi is propped up for a joint opposition. The Bihar coup is directly linked with Nitish Kumar’s smartly crafted national ambition without mentioning it from his side, but letting speculation around. 