Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is reportedly considering a switch in alliances, with sources suggesting a potential reunion with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, reported NDTV on Thursday, January 25.
The INDIA bloc, already facing fractures with leaders like
Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal ruling out alliances with the Congress, may witness another key player realigning political loyalties.
Having already navigated four alliance changes since 2013, Nitish Kumar, 72, seems poised for yet another political shift. Despite his previous association with the
mahagathbandhan and the
National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the Bihar CM's latest move, if it materialises, would mark a return to the BJP just two years after his departure.
Earlier, India Today had cited sources from the BJP, revealing a crucial condition for Kumar's potential re-entry into the alliance — he must resign as the chief minister of Bihar. This condition, as per the report on Thursday, underscores the BJP's strategic approach to the alliance dynamics.
Signs of the impending shift have been manifesting over the past few weeks. Nitish Kumar's recent comments on dynastic politics, followed by a sharp retort from Lalu Yadav's daughter, highlighted the growing discord.
His non-response to the Congress' invitation for
Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra further fuelled speculation about his political trajectory.
According to reports, the Kumar is unhappy over the lack of clarity in the INDIA bloc's election preparations, coupled with his perceived exclusion as a potential prime ministerial candidate. Delays in seat-sharing talks for the Lok Sabha polls have only intensified Kumar's frustration, according to insiders.
(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)
