In August last year, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar did yet another political U-turn. Stating that he wanted to forge unity among the Opposition parties before the 2024 general elections, Mr. Kumar joined hands with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). He also hinted that he would pass the mantle to Deputy Chief Minister and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. Mr. Kumar’s ideological infidelity is well known. After coming to power in Bihar in November 2005, the eight-time Chief Minister has ditched the Bharatiya Janata Party twice (in 2013 and 2022) and the RJD once (in 2017). But all along, he has managed to stay in power — an indication of his manoeuvering skills and political acumen.
Janata Dal (United) leaders project Mr. Kumar as a prime ministerial candidate. Although he has denied nurturing such ambitions, recently, while undertaking the Samadhan Yatra (solution journey) across the State, Mr. Kumar said he may tour the country to forge Opposition unity after the Budget session of the State. But recent events suggest that all is not going well for him.
At the Khammam rally, organised by Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao, Mr. Kumar was conspicuous by his absence. He played down his absence by saying he did not know about the event. The embarrassment was compounded by the presence of three other Chief Ministers at the rally — Arvind Kejriwal, Bhagwant Singh Mann and Pinarayi Vijayan. Though Mr. Rao, who has also taken it upon himself to forge unity among the Opposition parties, and Mr. Kumar met some time back, it is not known what transpired between them.
To add to Mr. Kumar’s woes, there is growing disharmony between the JD(U) and the RJD. In the past few months, the leaders of both parties have been slamming each other over some controversial statement or the other. A few months ago, RJD MLA Sudhakar Singh, who is the son of Bihar RJD president Jagdanand Singh, was forced to resign as Agriculture Minister after raising allegations of corruption in his own department. Since then, Mr. Singh has been attacking Mr. Kumar on a range of issues, including the recent deaths in Chhapra due to consumption of hooch. Mr. Singh’s remarks against the Chief Minister, likening him to the Mahabharata character Shikhandi, invited sharp criticism from the JD(U) in early January.
On January 23, the rift between the two parties became all the more visible at a function in Patna to mark the death anniversary of Rajput warrior king Maharana Pratap. Mr. Kumar was also present at the event. JD(U) leader Vijay Kumar Singh demanded an unconditional apology from RJD MLA and Education Minister Chandrashekhar at the event for the latter’s controversial remarks on the Ramcharitmanas. And before that controversy died down, another RJD Minister, Alok Mehta remarked that those who tolled bells at temples were now ruling States. This was seen as a reference to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. JD(U) leaders worry that such controversial remarks are antagonising a section of people.
There are also other concerns. In December last year, Mr. Kumar announced that Mr. Yadav would lead the Grand Alliance in the 2025 Bihar elections. Political circles in Bihar are abuzz with the rumour that the handover is part of an agreement between both the parties. Many believe that the handover will take place this year. But political analyst Ajay Kumar believes it will all depend on the results of the 2024 polls. “If Prime Minister Narendra Modi comes back to power, Mr. Kumar may rethink his strategy,” he says.
Meanwhile, JD(U) parliamentary board chairman Upendra Kushwaha has demanded that the Chief Minister convene a meeting of the national executive and reveal what sort of deal he has struck with the RJD. He also wants the national executive to discuss whether the JD(U) has weakened in recent times. BJP Rajya Sabha MP and former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi has added to the rumour mills by saying that the JD(U) could soon merge with the RJD. Mr. Kushwaha was quick to react to this saying, “A merger would be suicidal for the party.”
Mr. Kumar has not been able to do much except deny this move. The Chief Minister has evidently mastered the art of surviving in politics, but these issues may pose roadblocks to his national ambitions.
