Bihar Politics: Nitish Kumar Takes Oath As CM For 9th Time, Formed Alliance With BJP

Kumar’s exit from Mahagathbandhan, which he had joined less than 18 months ago, would deal a body blow to the opposition bloc INDIA. He had joined hands with RJD, founded by his former arch-rival Lalu Prasad, in August 2022 after he severed ties with the BJP which he accused of having tried to engineer a split in the JD(U).

The longest-serving CM of Bihar, thereafter, embarked upon a drive to bring together all parties, across the country, to take on the BJP that culminated in the formation of the opposition bloc INDIA. Over the past two decades, Kumar has frequently switched alliances between the BJP and the RJD-Congress-Left coalition while retaining his position in office.

JD(U) leader Sanjay Jha arrives at the BJP office in Patna, Bihar. BJP is likely to extend support to the JD(U) to form NDA government in Bihar.

Bihar MLAs unanimously passed the proposal to form the NDA government in the state with BJP, JD(U) and other allies.

Samrat Chaudhary has been elected as the Leader of the legislative party, Vijay Sinha elected as the Deputy Leader.

Bihar political crisis: “Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha have been elected as leader and deputy leader of the legislative party, respectively. Most certainly, they will be our face for the deputy CM position,” says BJP leader and former Bihar Deputy CM Tarkishore Prasad.

Nitish Kumar, Samrat Chaudhry, Vijay Sinha, Sharawan Kumar (JDU), Dr Prem Kumar (BJP), Santosh Suman (HAM), and Sumit Singh (Independent) will take oath today.

Following Nitish Kumar’s resignation as Bihar’s Chief Minister on Sunday, former Chief Minister and RJD chief Lalu Yadav’s daughter, Rohini Acharya took a swipe at JD(U) chief and said the ‘garbage is now back into the bin’.

“Garbage goes back into the dustbin Garbage – Happy stinking garbage to the group!” she wrote in Hindi in a post on X.

“Will there be a common minimum program or not… all that will be discussed. I’ll be taking part in the oath ceremony as an NDA partner. We have ideological differences with Nitish Kumar. But if we take BJP’s vision, our vision of Bihar first, Bihari first…,” said LJP’s Chirag Paswan

“Regarding the political changes happening in Bihar, Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi Yadav, and PM Modi should apologise to the people of Bihar. All of them have deceived people with promises and their parties’ ideologies. And Nitish Kumar has the biggest role in this. Till yesterday, Nitish Kumar used to say Owaisi is the B team (of BJP),” says AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, reacting to Nitish Kumar’s resignation as Bihar CM.

On Nitish Kumar and JD(U) joining NDA, Congress leader Tariq Anwar says, “We have faced such challenges several times. The Opposition is strong here. RJD, Congress and Left will face this challenge together and I think people of Bihar won’t forgive Nitish Kumar this time. People of Bihar are being toyed with. They are being mocked. Bihar’s image has suffered a blow…”

BJP workers celebrate in Bihar’s Patna after Nitish Kumar & BJP stake claim to form the government in the state.

The JD(U) on Sunday blamed the Congress for the collapse of the INDIA bloc in Bihar, saying its leaders were interested in strengthening their party and not the opposition grouping.

Janata Dal (United) spokesperson K C Tyagi told reporters that a “caucus” within the Congress wanted to capture the INDIA bloc leadership and its president Mallikarjun Kharge’s name was proposed as the chairperson of the grouping as part of the conspiracy.

On JDU Chief Nitish Kumar resigning as the CM of Bihar and JD(U)-BJP alliance, Prashant Kishor, Poll Strategist said, “I have been saying this since starting that Nitish Kumar can swap anytime. This has become a part of his politics… He is a ‘paltumaar’. But this (registration of Nitish Kumar) has also proved that not only Nitish Kumar, but BJP and every other leader is also a ‘paltumaar’. Their (BJP) members who were earlier accusing him for several issues are today welcoming him…”

On JDU Chief Nitish Kumar resigning as the CM of Bihar and JD(U)-BJP alliance, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav said, ‘Khela Abhi Baki Hai’. He further said that JDU Will Be Finished in 2024.

Addressing the political scenario in Bihar, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said, “Why should we not take credit for the work we have done? … The CM who used to say that it is impossible to give jobs, we gave jobs and showed that it is possible. We brought new policies in tourism, IT, and sports. The work that was done in 17 months could not be done in 17 years (of BJP-JDU rule). We did historic work in the 17 months…”

BJP’s Vijay Sinha takes oath as minister in NDA government. He was the LoP in the Bihar assembly when Mahagathbandhan government was in power

BJP’s Samrat Choudhary takes oath as the minister of Bihar.

On BJP-JD(U) alliance, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said, “This shows that it was all pre-planned. To break the INDIA alliance they (BJP-JD(U)) planned all this… He (Nitish Kumar) kept us in the dark, he kept Lalu Yadav in the dark…”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X to congratulate Bihar Chief Minister.

In his first speech after taking oath as Bihar CM, Nitish Kumar said that he works for the state’s development and will continue to do so. He further said, ” We were with BJP before also.”

On Nitish’s entry back to the NDA, BJP President JP Nadda said that Nitish ji coming back to NDA is a good news for Bihar. He also said, “INDI Alliance is not going to last…it is an unholy alliance…”