Nitish Kumar's JDU to withdraw support from BJP-led Manipur government
Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) will reportedly withdraw its support from the Manipur government where it was in an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The move, however, does not threaten the Biren Singh government in Manipur, BJP sources said. The final call on the withdrawal will be taken at the JD(U)'s national executive meeting in Patna on September 3-4.
Why does this story matter?
Earlier in August, Nitish Kumar's JD(U) broke away from alliance partner BJP in Bihar after being at loggerheads in the recent past. He then came back to power with the help of a coalition with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress and left parties — dubbed as Mahagathbandhan 2.0. Earlier, Kumar had abandoned the "Mahagathbandhan" government to join hands with the BJP in 2017.
JD(U) had extended support to the NDA after the elections
The BJP and the JD(U) did not contest the state elections held earlier this year as allies. After the election results, seven JD(U) MLAs extended their support to the government as their party was a part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) back then. The Election Commission of India (ECI) recognized JD(U) as a state party in Manipur earlier this month.
Ruling alliance still has 48 seats against the required 31
The ruling alliance currently boasts a 55-member majority in the state Assembly of 60 seats, including seven members from JD(U). After JD(U) withdraws its support, the coalition's numbers will be reduced to 48, among which BJP has 32 members. The required majority is 31 seats in the Assembly where Congress has five members and Trinamool Congress (TMC) has one seat.
Arunachal's lone JD(U) MLA joins BJP
On the other hand, the JD(U)'s lone MLA in Arunachal Pradesh has recently joined the BJP. The new coalition government in Bihar won the floor test in the Bihar Assembly on August 24. RJD leader and Bihar's Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav had recently said that if the Opposition supports, Nitish Kumar could emerge as a strong candidate for the 2024 General Elections.
