Another blow to INDIA as Nitish Kumar dumps RJD to form govt with BJP

Tribune News Service

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, January 28

Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar ditched the ruling grand alliance on Sunday only to return as Bihar Chief Minister with the support of BJP-led NDA partners hours after resigning and recommending the dissolution of the Mahagathbandhan regime to Governor Rajendra Arlekar. Nitish, 72, took oath as the CM for a record ninth time, making his fifth switch of camps since 2013 and dealing a death blow to the anti-BJP INDIA bloc of which he was principal architect.

• Editorial: Incorrigible Nitish

Arlekar administered the oath of office to Nitish and eight ministers, including three from the BJP — state unit chief Samrat Choudhary and former Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha as deputy CMs and Prem Kumar as minister.

Three JD(U) leaders who took oath were Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Bijendra Yadav and Shrawan Kumar. Former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustan Awam Morcha’s Santosh Kumar Suman (Majhi’s son) and Independent legislator Sumit Singh were also inducted into the new NDA Cabinet of Bihar.

No question of going elsewhere now

I was with them (NDA) earlier, too. We went on different paths... I am back where I was (NDA), and now there is no question of going anywhere else. Nitish Kumar, Janata Dal (United) president

NDA govt to fulfil people’s aspirations

The NDA government in Bihar will leave no stone unturned for the development of the state and to fulfil aspirations of its people. Narendra Modi, PM

Even as INDIA parties slammed Nitish with the Congress comparing him to a “chameleon”, PM Narendra Modi in a swipe at Opposition’s “dynastic” politics, said: “I am confident this team will serve my family members of the state with full dedication.”

Modi said the NDA government in Bihar would leave no stone unturned for the development of the state and to fulfil the aspirations of its people.

BJP president JP Nadda, who attended the swearing-in ceremony, accused the INDIA bloc of perpetrating dynastic politics and said the new government would herald an era of stability, law and order in Bihar.

“INDIA bloc stands for protecting family, shielding corruption,” Nadda said adding the new government would ensure “Ujjwal (radiant) Bihar”. NDA partners are learnt to have finalised the upcoming Lok Sabha seat-sharing deal also and everyone is on board. Nitish sufficed to blame the Mahagathbandhan and INDIA allies for “messy affairs that led him to quit”. “You all know how I came to this alliance and also how hard I worked to bring together so many parties. But of late, things have not been working out well. It was not going well with those in my party as well…. I consulted my party and eventually decided to let it go (quit the grand alliance). I have resigned and recommended dissolution of the government to the Governor,” he said this morning.

Nitish later said he was back where he belonged and “there was no question of going anywhere else now”. The resignation announcement this morning was followed by events that appeared calibrated and well planned. The BJP legislature party met and unanimously resolved to back Nitish as the NDA leader, besides electing Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Sinha as leader and deputy leader, respectively. The JD(U) fielded veteran KC Tyagi to single out the Congress as the reason for Nitish quitting the alliance. “A caucus in the Congress wanted to capture the leadership of the INDIA bloc and the name of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as the alliance chairman was proposed as part of this Congress-led conspiracy. Earlier in the Mumbai meeting of the bloc, it had been decided the alliance would contest LS polls under collective leadership,” Tyagi said questioning the December 18 meeting of the Opposition grouping where TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal proposed Kharge as chief.

Kharge hit back today saying both he and RJD chief Lalu Yadav knew Nitish was on his way out but were silent to keep the INDIA bloc intact.

With the Opposition coalition struggling to survive (TMC in Bengal and AAP in Punjab have already announced to go solo in the LS polls), the Congress insisted Nitish’s exit would not impact the grouping or its prospects.

“INDIA bloc is strong. There are a few speed-breakers here and there but we will unitedly fight against the BJP and all parties such as the DMK, NCP, TMC and SP will fight it together,” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, calling Bihar CM a “chameleon” whom the people of Bihar would never forgive. For Nitish, the latest switch was made easy by the government’s decision to confer the Bharat Ratna on late OBC icon and Bihar CM Karpoori Thakur, who was both Lalu Yadav’s and Nitish’s political mentor. Nitish had hinted at an imminent switch soon after the award was announced. “I have been demanding a Bharat Ratna for Karpoori ji since 2007, but only the BJP government has granted the honour,” the Bihar CM said in a swipe at the Congress-led UPA government, which was in power from 2004 to 2014. With the award, the BJP sent a signal of solidarity to OBCs who, as per the latest caste census in the state, form 63.13% of Bihar’s population.

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