'INDIA' set to lose Nitish Kumar? Bihar CM to join hands with BJP very soon, say reports

The state of affairs in the power corridors of India's Bihar state continues to evolve with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expected to jump into the ship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Kumar, the chief minister of one of India's poorest but also politically consequential Bihar state in eastern India, is the leader of the Janata Dal (United) party. At the time of filing this report, he remainsin alliance with former state chief minister and central railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

Kumar's JD(U) and Yadav's (RJD) are also part of the Indian National Congress-led Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A.), a bloc with many regional parties forged by the Congress to de-seat Prime Minister Narendra Modi from power in the general elections in the coming spring.

Multiple media publications have reported that Nitish Kumar is set to join hands with the BJP to reconstitute the state government in Bihar. This would come asa major jolt to the Congress-led I.N.D.I.A. political bloc ahead of national elections later this year.

Also watch |India: Nitish Kumar to join hands with BJP?

Bihar constitutes 40 seats in the lower house of Indian parliament, Lok Sabha. In the 2019 general elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won an impressive39 seats. Notably, Nitish Kumar led JD(U) was in alliance with the PM Modi'sBharatiya Janata Party in 2019. The BJP won 17, while JD(U) took 16 and another NDA partner Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) won 6 seats.

How does Nitish on BJP's side harm 'I.N.D.I.A' politically?

In a state widely divided on caste lines, Nitish Kumar's JD(U) along with Lalu Prasad's RJD have been popular among Other Backward Castes (OBCs), Extremely Backward Castes (EBCs) as well as the Muslims. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP, however, has made inroads among these communities in Bihar with central welfare programs. But together, the JD(U), RJD along with the Congress partyclaim to helm over a sizeable voter base that they believewouldhaltthe BJP's election juggernaut in Bihar in the 2024 elections.

Administrative rejig ahead of likely change of guard in Patna

Meanwhile, the Bihar government executed a major administrative reshuffle on Friday (Jan 26), transferring key officers across various services. A total of 22 Indian Administrative Service (IAS), 79 Indian Police Service (IPS), and 45 Bihar Administrative Service (BAS) officers were affected by the reshuffling.

Among the notable changes, Patna District Magistrate Chandrasekhar Singh, a 2010-batch IAS officer, has been appointed as special secretary in the chief minister's secretariat. This move follows Singh's recent involvement in a publicised dispute with the state education department over the closure of schools in Patna due to cold wave conditions.

Shirsat Kapil Ashok, a 2011-batch IAS officer currently serving as Inspector General (prisons), will take over as the new Patna DM.

The Bihar Administrative Service (BAS) witnessed changes as well, with 45 officers receiving new postings.

This significant administrative shuffle comes on the heels of a similar move on January 23, where 29 senior IAS officers were reassigned to new roles.

A senior official from the General Administration Departmenttold news agency Press Trust of India that these transfers and postings are part of routine exercises.

(With inputs from agencies)