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Nitish joins hands with BJP: Bihar’s political scenario
Bihar Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi administers oath to Nitish Kumar as Chief Minister at Raj Bhawan, in Patna on Thursday. | Photo Credit: PTI
After a series of dramatic events, Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar on Thursday took over as the Chief Minister of Bihar for the sixth time.
In what is seen as a body blow to the Opposition unity in Bihar, Mr. Kumar resigned as Chief Minister on Wednesday. He cited "irreconcilable differences" with ally Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on the issue of corruption charges against his former deputy Tejashwi Yadav.
What followed this move was a “scripted” sequence of events, according to a Congress leader - the BJP swiftly moved in, praising Mr. Kumar’s action, and giving its letter of support to a government headed by him.
Mr. Kumar met Bihar Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi on Wednesday night to stake claim to form a government with the support of the BJP, hours after he resigned.
As Nitish Kumar switches allies, the BJP appears to be the only winner.