PATNA/MOTIHARI: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar sought to end speculation about an alliance switch by reaffirming on Sunday his commitment to BJP-led NDA. “We mistakenly wandered off twice, but now have returned to the company of an old friend. I will stay with NDA,” the JDU chief said during his Pragati Yatra in Muzaffarpur.
The CM’s comments came in the wake of RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s recent statement extending an open offer to Nitish to rejoin the opposition alliance. “Our doors are open and Nitish, being the chief minister, should also keep his doors open,” Lalu had said.
Adding a layer of intrigue, RJD MP and Lalu’s daughter Misa Bharti described the relationship between her father and Nitish as one of old friends who “communicate through gestures”. However, leader of opposition and Lalu’s son Tejashwi dismissed any such possibility. “We did not extend any offer to Nitishji,” he said Sunday in Motihari. “Laluji was asked what would happen if Nitish came and he responded in his characteristic style,” he added, accusing Nitish of being “tired and dependent on retired officials to run his govt”.
Union minister and HAM (S) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi supported Nitish. “The CM is steadfast like a mountain. He has run a ‘sushasan (good governance)’ govt for two decades and would not tarnish his legacy by returning to RJD fold,” he said.
Nitish’s political journey has been marked by frequent shifts in alliances. In 2015, he allied with RJD and Congress to secure a landslide victory, but in 2017, broke ties and returned to NDA.
In Aug 2022, he ended the alliance and revived his partnership with RJD. By 2024, he rejoined NDA for the third time before LS polls. RJD MP Misa criticised BJP for its alleged ambiguity about Nitish’s future role. “BJP wants to return to power showcasing Nitish’s face but is reluctant to make him the CM face,” she said Sunday, warning that the JD(U) chief could face a “Maharashtra-like situation”.