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It looks like déjà vu another time. Nitish Kumar is again to the place he was in early 2022 — with the Bharatiya Janata Occasion (BJP). On Sunday (28 January), the Janata Dal (United) {JD(U)} chief took the oath of workplace for the ninth time with the help of the BJP, after dumping his former allies — the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the INDIA bloc.
It’s no shock that the JD(U)’s flip — fifth time in over 10 years — has earned him the title of ‘Paltu Ram’ in Bihar politics.
Shortly after he took the oath of chief minister, he was congratulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and different BJP leaders. Alternatively, leaders from the INDIA alliance voiced their displeasure with the veteran politician, with some even describing him as a turncoat and ‘girgit’ (chameleon).
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However Nitish Kumar stays unfazed. He asserted that there’s now no query of leaving the Nationwide Democratic Alliance (NDA)-fold. “I used to be with them (NDA) earlier, too. We went on completely different paths, however now we’re collectively and can stay so… I got here again to the place I used to be (NDA), and now there isn’t a query of going wherever else,” the 72-year-old mentioned.
However as Nitish makes a ghar wapsi to the NDA, one can’t ignore that his exit will negatively affect the INDIA grouping. We have a look how.
Why Nitish Kumar left INDIA
After a lot hypothesis and conjecture, Nitish Kumar on Sunday tendered his resignation as chief minister on Sunday morning, ditching the Mahagathbandhan and the opposition bloc INDIA. Shortly after, the 72-year-old was administered the oath of workplace by Bihar Governor Rajendra Arlekar at Raj Bhavan for the ninth time, within the presence of BJP leaders, together with occasion president JP Nadda.
After the swearing-in ceremony, Kumar instructed reporters: “I’ve come again the place I used to be earlier. Now there isn’t a query of going again.”
He indicated that he wasn’t proud of the best way issues have been going within the alliance within the state in addition to the newly fashioned Opposition grouping, INDIA.
There have been rumblings of cracks between the JD(U) and the RJD for fairly a while, with many speculating that Nitish would flip sides. Upendra Kushwaha, who heads the Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal, claimed that Kumar was attempting to stop the Mahagathbandhan as he was feeling “suffocated”.
“Nitish Kumar has constructed a picture the place everybody retains guessing about his future political strikes. It’s true that he’s not comfy as RJD is a part of the Mahagathbandhan. He’s feeling suffocated,” he instructed PTI on Friday.
JD(U) nationwide spokesperson KC Tyagi additionally supplied insights as to why Nitish Kumar stop the INDIA bloc and rejoined fingers with the NDA. “The perspective of the Congress from day one had not been very constructive… They wished to complete all of us non-Congress events as a part of a conspiracy,” he alleged to Indian Specific.
Additionally learn: How Lutyens’ Delhi derailed Nitish Kumar’s political profession — and with it the prospect of Bihar
He additional added, “They (Congress) additionally wished to hijack the management of the INDIA bloc. It was determined in Mumbai that the alliance won’t undertaking a face. However by means of some intrigue and manipulation within the evening… Jairam Ramesh and co ensured Mallikarjun Kharge’s title was proposed on the assembly. What was the necessity for such intrigue and manipulation? Though Kharge politely refused, it was the Congress’s conspiracy to hijack management (of the bloc).”
How INDIA reacted
Nitish’s flip, understandably, has shocked and irked the INDIA bloc. Tejashwi Yadav, the son of Lalu Yadav and former deputy chief minister of Bihar, mentioned, “The JD(U) shall be destroyed within the upcoming Meeting polls”.
“The sport will not be over for us. The sport has simply begun,” mentioned the younger chief. His elder brother, Tej Pratap Yadav, and sister, Rohini Acharya, additionally ridiculed the Bihar chief minister, likening him to a “chameleon.”
“गिरगिट” तो बस यूँ ही बदनाम है..! रंग बदलने की रफ़्तार से तो पलटिस कुमार को भी “गिरगिट रत्न“ से सम्मानित करना चाहिए।
— Tej Pratap Yadav (@TejYadav14) January 28, 2024
बस कुछ दिनों की बात है
गिरगिट कुमार इतिहास है..— Rohini Acharya (@RohiniAcharya2) January 28, 2024
Convenor of the INDIA grouping, and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge additionally minced no phrases when requested about Nitish Kumar’s volte-face. He mentioned that he knew it will occur, including, “There are a lot of individuals within the nation like ‘Aaya Ram-Gaya Ram’.
“Earlier he and us have been preventing collectively. After I talked to Lalu ji and Tejashwi, additionally they mentioned that Nitish goes. If he wished to remain, he would have stayed however he needs to go. That’s why we already knew this, however to maintain the India alliance intact, if we are saying one thing unsuitable, the unsuitable message shall be despatched. This info was already given to us by Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav. At this time that got here true. There are a lot of individuals within the nation like ‘Aaya Ram-Gaya Ram’,” Kharge mentioned.
Mamata Banerjee, Trinamool Congress matriarch and West Bengal chief minister, additionally expressed her anger at Kumar’s actions. A supply near her instructed The Telegraph, “Didi thinks that if Nitish Kumar leaves the INDIA bloc, it will be good riddance. “She thinks that the anti-incumbency dealing with the Nitish-led authorities would have price the alliance.”
One other senior face of the Opposition alliance, Sharad Pawar, mentioned individuals will give a befitting reply to the politics of “ceaselessly shifting loyalties” being performed by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar.
Congress’ Shashi Tharoor, maybe, had the very best tackle the occasions. Utilizing his impeccable English abilities, he known as Kumar a snollygoster — which suggests “a shrewd, unprincipled politician”. By the way, this was the identical phrase Tharoor had used for the veteran chief had parted methods with the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar.
How Nitish’s exit hurts INDIA
Whereas the leaders might undertaking Nitish’s exit as non-significant, it’s arduous to disregard him or his affect on the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Firstly, Nitish’s exit hurts the alliance, because it reinstates the narrative that the BJP has pushed on the grouping — of it being non-reliant and unstable. Kumar’s shift will now add to the NDA’s momentum and the INDIA bloc should give you some main gamechanger to tackle the NDA.
Secondly, his crossing over to the NDA, boosts the ruling alliance’s numbers for the upcoming polls. Analysts observe that Nitish’s exit from the INDIA bloc additionally places the grouping in a conundrum over the matter of caste equations. In any case, it was Nitish Kumar who was the architect of the Bihar caste survey — a template that the Opposition has used for a pitch in opposition to the BJP. Because the Indian Specific reviews, Nitish’s transfer to the NDA additionally reinforces the “Hindutva plus social justice” plank which the BJP has repeatedly underlined as the muse of its electoral attraction and success.
Nitish’s exit additionally hurts the INDIA bloc, as he was the one who initiated it. Critics will now query the viability and existence of the grouping now that the JD(U) chief has walked out.
Moreover, his exit comes on the worst time for INDIA; the TMC and Aam Aadmi Occasion have introduced that they’d be going solo in West Bengal and Punjab respectively, making voters query if the alliance is of any sense.
Ballot pundits additionally observe that with Nitish leaving the Grand Alliance within the state of Bihar, the RJD is left to rely upon the ‘MY’ mixture — Muslim, Yadav base. As an example, an ABP-CVoter survey from a month in the past predicted 21-23 seats for the INDIA bloc and 16-18 for the NDA. However this appears very arduous now with the JD(U) chief dumping the alliance.
Nitish dumping the INDIA bloc additionally reinforces the anti-Congress stance. JD(U) leaders have blamed the Grand Outdated Occasion for his or her chief’s transfer and this may damage their fame and possibilities within the normal elections. It additionally places strain on the Congress in its negotiations with allies like Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Occasion.
Clearly, the exit of Nitish Kumar and the JD(U) is a large embarrassment for the INDIA bloc, whether or not it want to acknowledge it or not.
With inputs from businesses
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