NEW DELHI: Once again, Nitish Kumar has taken a significant step by stepping down from his role as Bihar Chief Minister. He has opted out of the Mahagathbandhan alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress, reverting to the position he held in July 2022.
Once again, Nitish Kumar’s party, Janata Dal (United) or JD(U), is making an attempt to establish a government in Bihar through an alliance with the BJP. This mirrors the same set-up he had departed from in August 2022. Back then, Home Minister Amit Shah had remarked that “all doors were closed” for Nitish Kumar if he entertained the idea of rekindling a partnership with the BJP.
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Following his resignation from the chief position, 72-year-old Nitish Kumar informed reporters in Patna today, stating, “The new Grand Alliance that we created (in August 2022) is not in a good condition. The situation is not looking good.”
He accused the JD(U) of carrying out extensive work in Bihar, while insinuating that the “others,” referring to Lalu Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), haven’t accomplished much.
Nitish Kumar also expressed dissatisfaction with the young opposition coalition INDIA, which he had played a key role in creating. “I have been working hard to make a successful, meaningful (INDIA) alliance, but no one else (in the alliance) has been doing anything… Gathbandhan main bhi gadbad chal rahan hai (something is wrong in the alliance). People are not happy,” Nitish Kumar said while addressing the media.
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The INDIA coalition, originally formed to confront Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the upcoming Lok Sabha election within the next three months, now encounters a formidable challenge.