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Bihar chief minister (CM) and Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar’s shifting political allegiances have ceased to shock as this has been the character of his politics for years now. Since successful workplace in 2005, the nine-time CM has travelled between the Bharatiya Janata Social gathering (BJP) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the 2 poles of Bihar politics, ever so usually. This has been pushed by the urge for self-preservation in a state the place the shortage of a caste or group assist is a serious handicap: And Kumar’s caste, the Kurmi, lacks the numerical heft to form outcomes. Nonetheless, Kumar’s shrewd and inscrutable politics are outstanding as a result of he has managed to efficiently promote his somersaults as principled — invoking anti-corruption, improvement, social justice, and good governance to clarify them. The BJP, RJD, and Congress have been equally unprincipled in rallying behind him as he shifted sides, ignoring the spirit of the mandate.
The first impulse that drives Kumar’s politics is the pursuit of energy. The current change in alliances might be a want to remain in workplace in Patna past 2025 — the understanding with the RJD was that Kumar would make method for Tejashwi Yadav because the chief of the Mahagathbandhan, the RJD-JD(U)-Congress-Left alliance, thereafter. His declare to be the face of the INDIA bloc, which he mooted to tackle Prime Minister Modi, didn’t discover backers. That left Kumar with few choices to remain politically related. The realignment of political forces in Bihar is an enormous enhance for the NDA’s prospects. It expands the ruling alliance’s electoral affect in a state that sends 40 MPs to the Lok Sabha, taking it nearer to a majority within the Rajya Sabha. Extra importantly, Kumar’s actions discredit the INDIA bloc, underline its fragility, and undermine the claims of its potential to type a secure authorities.
Kumar represents the tragedy of the Opposition and the fact of the INDIA bloc. Latest occasions recommend that the latter is nothing however an inchoate group of self-serving regional chieftains, whose sole consideration is furthering their very own prospects. The Congress lacks the creativeness, management or political savvy to carry them collectively; a lot of them are offshoots of the Congress and concern that the get together’s resurgence would undermine their affect. Kumar’s exit and up to date actions of events such because the TMC and AAP increase the query on whether or not INDIA generally is a competent Opposition, overlook being a challenger to the Modi juggernaut.
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