Nitish to stay Bihar CM, deputies from BJP likely: Report
Nitish Kumar will be sworn in as Chief Minister of Bihar for a seventh time on Sunday with support from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), NDTV reported. The BJP will get two deputy chief minister berths—same as the arrangement decided after the 2020 election. Kumar, infamous for his mercurial temperament, has defected five times in the past decade.
Why does this story matter?
Kumar is a key player of the opposition bloc—Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA)—which was created to present a united front against the BJP in 2024 elections. There have been reports about Kumar's growing discontentment with the workings of the bloc. This comes after some bloc partners have announced that they will contest 2024 alone in their respective states.
No assembly elections to be held
According to NDTV, sources have also indicated that there will be no assembly election held at this time. With Bihar scheduled to vote next year, neither party is in a hurry. The immediate priority will be the Lok Sabha election. Sources have reported that the Janata Dal (United) leader has canceled all his commitments for January 28.
Seat adjustments to follow
According to the report, Kumar's return to the BJP- led National Democratic Alliance involves a detailed plan. The strategy includes appointing an Assembly Speaker and reshuffling the cabinet to allocate one ministerial position for every four MLAs, favoring BJP leaders. It also entails a reduction in Lok Sabha seats for the JDU from 17 to 12-15.
Kumar's 5 flips in 10 years
In 2013, when NDA announced Narendra Modi as their PM candidate, Kumar, disapproving the choice, ended the JD(U)'s 17-year alliance with BJP. He led JD(U) to align with RJD and Congress and form Bihar's "Mahagathbandhan sarkaar." Two year's later, he resigned as chief minister, but was reinstated on the post, with BJP's support. In 2022, Kumar announced that the JDU-BJP alliance was over.
What this means for BJP?
The eastern state sends 40 MPs to the Lok Sabha, the most of any state except for Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Bengal. In case of support from JD(U), BJP will get an edge over the state in 2024 polls. In the 2019 parliamentary elections, the BJP-JD(U) combine won 33 seats, while six others were won by the late Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party.
