Will the Year 2025 witness political realignment in Bihar just before the state goes to assembly polls? Will Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar make a somersault once again? Will the seasoned and astute politician, teased as ‘palturam’ by his detractors, change sides again to garner the maximum political mileage before the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025?
The rumour mill started churning when RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav told a YouTuber, “The doors for Nitish Kumar are always open. He should also keep his doors open as he is the Chief Minister. Let him come, join us, and work together with us. We will forgive him, but he leaves us occasionally.”
However, the Bihar CM gave a cryptic reply to reporters. He said, “Kya bolte hain, chhoriye na” (“What are you saying, leave it”).
Lalu Prasad, Tejaswi Not On Same Page?
The crisis deepened further when Lalu’s son and LoP in Bihar Assembly Tejaswi Yadav ruled out the return of Nitish Kumar.
He said that the former Bihar CM had said this only to give an answer to a journalist and there are no plans to take Nitish Kumar back to the opposition alliance of Mahagathbandhan.
He also said that he has been authorised to take the official line, though everyone has the right to have his own opinion.
A day earlier what Lalu Prasad Yadav had said, Tejaswi Yadav said that the same seed can not be sown in the same field for 30 years, it should be changed and a new crop should be cultivated in the field.
‘NDA To Contest Polls Under Nitish Kumar’
Bihar JD(U) Spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said that it is Nitish Kumar who had ousted the RJD twice from the government and so the party was upset. He also declared that the NDA alliance would fight the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 under the leadership of Nitish Kumar.
However, despite all posturing there are certain signs signaling everything is not right in the ruling alliance.
Political Realignment In Bihar?
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar came to Delhi to pay his last respect to former Prime Minister and veteran Congress leader Dr Manmohan Singh and returned to his home state without meeting anyone from the BJP.
It was frowned upon by many political observers and leaders of the saffron party.
Immediately after taking the oath, newly-appointed Bihar Governor Arif Muhammad Khan visited the ancestral village of the Chief Minister to pay homage to his mother on her death anniversary, indicating his closeness to Nitish Kumar and a possible political equation in the state.
Arif Muhammad Khan paid a visit to former Bihar Chief Minister and RJD leader Rabri Devi to greet her on her birthday, a clear attempt to reach out to her.
It is interesting to note that Lalu’s statement on doors being remaining open for Nitish Kumar came after Khan had met Rabri Devi.
BJP’s Intentions Under Cloud
On the other hand, the intentions of the BJP are under cloud and the saffron party itself has shown it.
On the prograame to celebrate the birth anniversary of Jai Prakash Narayan, BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sinha said publicly that the real homage to JP would be to establish a BJP goverenment in Bihar.
Later, when he came under attack for this politically incorrect statement, he clarified that what he meant was “an NDA government in Bihar”.
Secondly, some BJP leaders have indicated that Nitish Kumar may not be the CM face of the NDA in the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025. And it has come from one of the tallest leaders of the BJP.
Amit Shah Non-Committal To Nitish Kumar?
When a news channel anchor asked Amit Shah “will BJP keep Nitish Kumar in front in Bihar or will it follow the Maharashtra model”, his reply was not a straight forward affirmative one. It raised many questions.
The Union Home Minister said, “The party’s policy decision is not declared in such a programme. I am a disciplined worker of BJP and it is the parliamentary board that would take the decision. When we will sit together, then only we will decide.”
Shah’s statement fuelled the speculation that the NDA may opt for the Maharastra formula in Bihar this time.
Will BJP Dump Nitish Kumar After Bihar Elections?
Maharashtra’s rulig alliance of Mahayuti made Shiv Sena leader and then Chief Minister Eknath Shinde the CM face, it contested elections under his leadership, but refused to make him the head of the government.
BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis was made the Chief Minister. Shinde was made to eat the humble pie and settle for the office of the Deputy Chief Minister.
It is speculated that Nitish Kumar may be sidelined once the results of the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 are declared and his pary gets seats less than the BJP.
How Was Nitish Kumar Made CM?
JD(U) won 43 seats while the the BJP garnered 74 in the last Bihar Assembly Elections held in 2020.
Despite getting more seats, the saffron party made Nitish Kumar the Chief Minister of the state.
However, it clipped his wings by appointing two Deputy Chief Ministers, both from its rank and file.
Political analysts believe, that while the saffron party may work to further weaken the JD(U) as it did last time with the help of Chirag Paswan, Nitish Kumar may blackmail the BJP by threatening to join hands with the RJD.
Both sides have kept the cards close to their chest, but he strategies of both of them are clear.
Lalu Prasad Yadav’s statement bears special significance in this background.
By keeping the doors open, he wants to give special leverage to his old friend and close confidante for a long time.
At the same time, he also wants to indicate to his own followers that with the help of Nitish Kumar, he may be able to stop the saffron party and return to power.
