Nitish Kumar likely to resign today? Will JD(U)-BJP stake claim for new Bihar government?
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar appears set for a second political volte-face in less than three years and is likely to return to an alliance with the BJP today. He will meet the Governor at 11.30 am and resign to start the process, reports said.
FollowAmid the Bihar political crisis, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is likely to resign from his post by noon today, with many Congress MLAs going with him, according to various media reports. The Janata Dal (United) veteran is expected to address a legislative meeting around 10 am, after which he will submit his resignation at the Raj Bhavan to Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and stake claim to form a new government with the BJP's support.
According to reports, the 72-year-old is scheduled to meet with the governor of Bihar at 11.30 am today and announce his resignation as chief minister. He's scheduled to meet with the governor at Raj Bhawan after calling a meeting of all JD(U) MPs.
Political circles have been abuzz amid rumours that Nitish Kumar and his party Janata Dal (United) will ditch the struggling Opposition alliance and join hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on Saturday that he had written a letter to Nitish Kumar and tried to talk to him as well. Congress later said that the party chief called the Bihar Chief Minister two to three times, and despite returning the calls, Nitish Kumar remained "busy" and the two leaders could not speak about the political crisis.
With immediate effect, former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel has been designated by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as the party's senior observer to oversee the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' and other party events in Bihar.Â
The Congress and RJD have convened many times to discuss the course of action in the event that Kumar leaves, after the reports. One of the leading parties in the opposition's INDIA alliance, which seeks to unseat Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha elections, is JD(U).
There are 243 MLAs in the Bihar Assembly, with the RJD having 79, the BJP having 78, the JD(U) having 45, the Congress having 19, the CPI (M-L) having 12, two of the CPI(M) and CPI, the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) having four seats, the AIMIM having one, and one Independent representative.
