NEW DELHI: Has Nitish Kumar lost the sheen and also the bargaining power that helped him dominate Bihar’s political landscape for over two decades? The critics of Nitish Kumar say that the recent cabinet expansion, which saw 7 BJP MLAs join his ministry, is a clear indication of who is calling the shots in Bihar.
The opposition in Bihar claims that the BJP has “completely hijacked” Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) and is enjoying power by using the chief minister as a mask.
“People should look into the background as to how many cases are against those who have been inducted into Bihar cabinet. This is the last cabinet expansion of the CM (Nitish Kumar). NDA will be finished in 2025. The CM is not able to be at the post. He is tired. He has been losing his credibility. The people of Bihar don’t want a Khatara Gaadi (outdated vehicle) but a newer one,” leader of opposition Tejashwi Yadav said.
“It was not a cabinet expansion of Bihar but of the BJP. JD(U) has been completely hijacked. The BJP wants to finish the JD(U). Many of the leaders are there in JD(U), but their hearts are with the BJP. The BJP wants to be a dominant force here, but their dream will remain a mere dream,” the RJD leader added.
Another strong critic of Nitish Kumar, former election strategist Prashant Kishor who has floated his own outfit Jan Suraaj Party, also lambasted the BJP for “enjoying power while using Nitish Kumar as a mask.” The former JD(U) national vice-president claimed that “loot of public money and assuaging some estranged castes” were the intentions behind the cabinet expansion “with hardly six months left for polls”.
Both the BJP and the JD(U), two key constituents of ruling NDA, strongly rejected opposition’s charge and launched a counterattack.
The Janata Dal (United) said that the RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) will get so few seats in the Bihar assembly elections that its leader Tejashwi Yadav will not even get the status of leader of opposition. JD(U) national spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad said the RJD rule under Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi had left Bihar in dire straits and it was Nitish Kumar who worked to improve its condition on every development metrics.
The JD(U) leader alleged that the people of Bihar still “shudder” thinking of the “jungle raaj” of the RJD rule, when numerous caste massacres occurred, and people were killed in broad daylight and were abducted for ransom.
Union minister and BJP MP Giriraj Singh also attacked Tejashwi Yadav and said that “choron ko sab najar aate hain chor.” (Thieves see everyone as thieves). “There is a proverb used in villages ‘choron ko sab najar aate hain chor’. Since Lalu Yadav’s government was a government of ‘gangsters’ and hence they see others with the same lens,” the BJP MP said.
So, is there merit in opposition charge or can Nitish still dictate terms in alliance?
In the 2020 assembly elections, Nitish Kumar was reduced to being the junior partner in NDA for the first time as the BJP got more seats than the JD(U). Interestingly, it was another NDA constituent, the Lok Janshakti Party of Chirag Paswan that played a key role in this change of power dynamics by strategically fielding candidates against JD(U) and ensuring division of votes. However, the BJP kept its pre-poll promise and formed a government under Nitish Kumar.
But the change in number dynamics once again sowed the seeds of unease between the two long-term allies. Nitish once again jumped the NDA ship and joined hands with Lalu Prasad’s RJD, only to return back to the NDA fold ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Can Nitish switch again?
Well, Nitish Kumar, who has already made so many alliance flip-flops, can definetly decide for another switch. But the big question is will he dare to do that again? While anything is possible in politics, but with his credibility already under stake – a decision to change alliance ahead of assembly elections will be very difficult for Nitish. Another moot question is will Tejashwi be willing to take him back in Mahagathbandhan and under what conditions? In all his earlier tie-ups with RJD, Nitish was the undisputed leader and Tejashwi his deputy.
Has the BJP has made another flip-flop difficult for Nitish?
The BJP has been very focussed on Bihar ahead of the year-end assembly elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi made 8 MPs from the state Union ministers after winning the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Bihar has gained the most in the last two Union budgets – getting several projects and central doles. Prime Minister Modi held a mega rally in Bhagalpur earlier this month which was literally the launch of NDA’s election campaign in the state. The Prime Minister made a strong farmers’ outreach from Bihar disbursing close to Rs 23,000 crore to nearly 100 million beneficiaries of Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana across the country. With so much of largesse from the Centre, it will be difficult for Nitish to think of and justify any alliance switch to the people of the state.
Nitish Kumar, who has had a dominating presence in the state, is perhaps passing through the toughest phase of his political career. Rumours around his health have not helped the matters. Little wonder, Prashant Kishor, friend-turned-bitter critic of Nitish Kumar has thrown an open dare at the Bihar chief minister. “I challenge Nitish Kumar to spell out the names of ministers in the state cabinet without looking at a piece of paper. If he thus demonstrates his mental soundness, I would give up politics and start working for him,” Kishor said attacking the JD(U) chief.
Assembly elections in the state is still many months away and it will be interesting to see how Nitish adapts to the changed ground realities.