Patna, Jan 28 – Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has tendered his resignation, paving the way for a potential reunion with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), from which his party, Janata Dal (United) or JD(U), had parted ways 17 months ago. Kumar is expected to be sworn in as the Chief Minister of the NDA government later in the day, according to JD(U) sources.
Having led the Grand Alliance government since August 2022, Kumar submitted his resignation to Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at the Rajbhawan. He is now preparing to make another political shift by aligning with the BJP-led alliance to form an NDA government in the state.
Kumar had previously resigned as the Chief Minister of Bihar on August 9, 2022, and left the NDA to establish the Grand Alliance government in collaboration with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, and Left parties.
Both the JD(U) and BJP have called for meetings with their legislators and senior leaders to formalize the formation of a new NDA government led by Nitish Kumar. The BJP legislators’ meeting is scheduled to take place at the party’s state headquarters in Patna, while the JD(U) legislators will gather at the Chief Minister’s official residence.
The Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), which held a meeting chaired by former Chief Minister Jeetan Ram Manjhi, has decided to extend support to Kumar in forming the NDA government. Manjhi reaffirmed his allegiance to the NDA and ruled out any second thoughts.
After the separate meetings of the JD(U) and BJP legislature parties, a meeting of the NDA legislature party will be held at 1 Anne Marg, the Chief Minister’s official residence. During this meeting, Nitish Kumar is expected to be elected as the leader of the NDA legislature, enabling him to stake claim to form the next government in Bihar before the Governor.
Kumar, accompanied by senior BJP leaders and HAM patron Jeetan Ram Manjhi, will meet the Governor to stake claim for the NDA government. The swearing-in ceremony for Nitish Kumar as the Chief Minister, which will mark his ninth term, is expected to take place this evening.
In the wake of Nitish Kumar’s resignation and potential reunion with the NDA, Bihar is poised for a significant political realignment. The move has the potential to reshape the state’s political landscape and have far-reaching implications for the upcoming elections. Bihar’s citizens and the political fraternity eagerly await the developments that will unfold in the formation of the new NDA government.
