Bihar government change on January 28 with Nitish Kumar as CM, BJP's Sushil Modi as DyCM?
Amid political turmoil in Bihar, there are indications that Nitish Kumar may reassume the role of Chief Minister for Janata Dal (United) in collaboration with the BJP on January 28. BJP's Sushil Modi is expected to be the new deputy minister.
FollowNitish Kumar could take the oath as the Chief Minister of the Janata Dal United-BJP government in Bihar on January 28, as reported by television news channel India Today, citing sources. BJP veteran Sushil Modi is likely to assume the role of the new deputy chief minister. Sushil Modi commented on the development, characterizing politics as a "game of possibilities" and acknowledging that closed doors can open. However, he refrained from providing further details on the matter.
This development unfolds against the backdrop of political tensions within the current alliance of JD(U) and Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). The simmering tension reached a climax this week when the BJP-led Centre conferred the Bharat Ratna on socialist icon Karpoori Thakur. The situation escalated with Nitish Kumar's 'parivarvaad' (dynasty politics) remark, drawing a sharp response from Lalu Yadav's daughter Rohini Acharya in a now-deleted tweet.
Meanwhile, the Congress party is closely monitoring the situation but expressed scepticism about Nitish Kumar's transition back to the BJP, citing concerns related to Chirag Paswan and Upender Kushwaha. Congress leaders pointed out that this time, the Assembly speaker is from their side (RJD). Reports suggest that Nitish Kumar is displeased with the Congress's indecision on seat sharing in Bihar and other states where regional parties have joined the INDIA bloc.
Sources indicate that Nitish Kumar believes that Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' ahead of the Lok Sabha elections is primarily for the benefit of the Congress party rather than the INDIA alliance.
Nitish Kumar's discontent over failed seat-sharing talks echoes a broader trend within the INDIA bloc, as seen with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's decision for Trinamool Congress to go solo in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls from the state.
The last virtual meeting of the INDIA alliance on January 13 named Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge as the group's chairperson, pending an official announcement. Nitish Kumar was offered the convener's post but declined, suggesting that someone from the Congress should take up the responsibility. A final decision on the convener post was expected after discussions with Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, and other absent leaders.
