<p>Chief Minister of the Indian state of Bihar, Nitish Kumar stepped down from the top post and severed ties with the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) on Sunday (Jan 28). Subsequently, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national general secretary Vinod Tawde said a BJP-NDA government would be formed in the state in alliance with the Janata Dal (United).&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>BJP’s Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Sinha to be deputy CMs?</strong></h2>

<p>Earlier on Sunday, Kumar held a meeting of JD(U) leaders at his official residence in state capital Patna and announced that he had asked the governor to dissolve the government in the state.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Bihar: Opposition I.N.D.I.A alliance falls apart as Nitish Kumar switches over</strong></p>

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<p>Kumar also said he would form government with the BJP at 5:00 pm (local time). Meanwhile, during the legislative party meeting, JD-U MLAs unanimously passed the proposal to form the&nbsp;government in alliance with BJP, and other NDA allies.&nbsp;</p>

<p>BJP’s Samrat Chaudhary has been elected as the leader of the legislative party, while&nbsp;Vijay Sinha, who was&nbsp;Leader of Opposition in the Bihar assembly,&nbsp;has been elected as the deputy leader.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“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 deputy CMs,” BJP leader and former Bihar Deputy CM, Tarkishore Prasad told reporters, as quoted by PTI.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bihar-political-crisis-nitish-to-step-down-as-cm-form-new-govt-with-bjp-later-today-report-684422">JD(U)'s Nitish Kumar quits Grand Alliance in Bihar, will form new state govt with BJP</a></strong></p>

<p>Later, Bihar BJP spokesperson Sumit Shashank said, “Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Sinha to be the Deputy Chief Ministers of Bihar.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>This comes as several media reports citing officials said Choudhary and Sinha will be named as deputy CMs while Kumar will again be the chief minister.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Setback for opposition’s INDIA alliance</strong></h2>

<p>Kumar’s resignation is being seen as a major setback for the opposition&nbsp;INDIA alliance that wanted to put up a strong fight against the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the upcoming general elections.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/trouble-in-india-paradise-bihar-cm-nitish-kumar-may-return-to-bjp-led-nda-fold-sources-683841">Trouble in INDIA paradise? Bihar CM Nitish Kumar may return to BJP-led NDA fold: Reports</a></strong></p>

<p>The resignation also comes after several media reports said Kumar was miffed with the opposition INDIA bloc, especially the Congress Party for being indecisive in the seat-sharing arrangement in other states.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Nitish's decision to dump the Grand Alliance came days after he was named the Janata Dal (United) national president after MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh quit the post, ending days of speculation amid reports of a rift and the latter's alleged growing inclination towards RJD.</p>

<p>Bihar’s political shake-up also comes days after Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC), a key player in the national alliance against the BJP, declared its intent to go solo in the Indian state of West Bengal and fight on all the 42 Lok Sabha seats alone in the 2024 elections.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Similarly, the Aam Aadmi Party has announced that it plans to contest Punjab and Haryana elections alone, without any seat sharing with other opposition parties.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Chief Minister of the Indian state of Bihar, Nitish Kumar stepped down from the top post and severed ties with the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) on Sunday (Jan 28).

Chief Minister of the Indian state of Bihar, Nitish Kumar stepped down from the top post and severed ties with the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) on Sunday (Jan 28). Subsequently, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national general secretary Vinod Tawde said a BJP-NDA government would be formed in the state in alliance with the Janata Dal (United). BJP’s Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Sinha to be deputy CMs? Earlier on Sunday, Kumar held a meeting of JD(U) leaders at his official residence in state capital Patna and announced that he had asked the governor to dissolve the government in the state. WATCH | Bihar: Opposition I.N.D.I.A alliance falls apart as Nitish Kumar switches over Kumar also said he would form government with the BJP at 5:00 pm (local time). Meanwhile, during the legislative party meeting, JD-U MLAs unanimously passed the proposal to form the government in alliance with BJP, and other NDA allies. BJP’s Samrat Chaudhary has been elected as the leader of the legislative party, while Vijay Sinha, who was Leader of Opposition in the Bihar assembly, has been elected as the deputy leader. “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 deputy CMs,” BJP leader and former Bihar Deputy CM, Tarkishore Prasad told reporters, as quoted by PTI. ALSO READ | JD(U)'s Nitish Kumar quits Grand Alliance in Bihar, will form new state govt with BJP Later, Bihar BJP spokesperson Sumit Shashank said, “Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Sinha to be the Deputy Chief Ministers of Bihar.” This comes as several media reports citing officials said Choudhary and Sinha will be named as deputy CMs while Kumar will again be the chief minister. Setback for opposition’s INDIA alliance Kumar’s resignation is being seen as a major setback for the opposition INDIA alliance that wanted to put up a strong fight against the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the upcoming general elections. ALSO READ | Trouble in INDIA paradise? Bihar CM Nitish Kumar may return to BJP-led NDA fold: Reports The resignation also comes after several media reports said Kumar was miffed with the opposition INDIA bloc, especially the Congress Party for being indecisive in the seat-sharing arrangement in other states. Nitish's decision to dump the Grand Alliance came days after he was named the Janata Dal (United) national president after MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh quit the post, ending days of speculation amid reports of a rift and the latter's alleged growing inclination towards RJD. Bihar’s political shake-up also comes days after Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC), a key player in the national alliance against the BJP, declared its intent to go solo in the Indian state of West Bengal and fight on all the 42 Lok Sabha seats alone in the 2024 elections. Similarly, the Aam Aadmi Party has announced that it plans to contest Punjab and Haryana elections alone, without any seat sharing with other opposition parties. (With inputs from agencies)

India: Nitish Kumar to form government in Bihar with BJP support after dumping Grand Alliance

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<p>Political leaders in India on Sunday (Jan 28) reacted to Janata Dal (United) President Nitish Kumar exiting the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) in Bihar and rejoining hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Kumar, the president of the JD(U), was appointed as the acting chief minister by the governor after tendering his resignation.</p>

<p>Citing sources from Bihar BJP, news agency ANI reported that CM Kumar and two deputy CMs from the BJP are likely to take oath later on Sunday. These developments come just months before the Lok Sabha election in India.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bihar-political-crisis-live-cm-nitish-seeks-time-to-meet-governor-today-684394">Click here to follow all updates on the political crisis in Bihar</a></strong></p>

<p>The Grand Alliance in Bihar consists of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Congress, and other Left Parties. This is Kumar's fifth switch to a political alliance in a decade. During his tenure as CM, Kumar has several times switched between political alliances.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Politicians react</strong></h2>

<p>Reacting to Kumar's decision to dump the Grand Alliance, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said he knew this would happen.</p>

<p>"Earlier, he and we were fighting together. When I talked to Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav, they also said that Nitish is going. If he (Nitish) wanted to stay, he would have stayed but he wants to go. That's why we already knew this, but to keep the INDIA bloc intact, if we say something wrong, the wrong message will be sent," Kharge said.</p>

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<p>"It is not surprising that Nitish Kumar has resigned. He is a seasoned politician. He has been a chief minister for several years. But he keeps changing his political colours. He gives a tough challenge to chameleons. People of Bihar will give a befitting reply to him and to those who are making him dance from Delhi," Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications, Jairam Ramesh said.</p>

<p>RJD leader Mrityunjay Tiwari speaking to ANI said, "What was left with him? The public is the master. It watches everything and it will demand an account for everything...".</p>

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<p>"If the main man (Nitish Kumar) behind this alliance says so, then there was no future (for INDIA alliance). There is no vacancy for the Prime Ministerial post. BJP will have a historic win in Lok Sabha polls and in Bihar we will win the whole 40 seats," former Union minister and BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad told the news agency.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-appoints-state-election-in-charges-for-lok-sabha-polls-684377">BJP appoints state election in-charges for Lok Sabha polls</a></strong></p>

<p>Hitting out at the Congress, JD(U) leader KC Tyagi said that the grand old party wanted to steal the leadership of the INDIA alliance. "Congress kept dragging the seat sharing, we kept saying that seat sharing needs to happen immediately...INDIA lacked plans to fight against BJP," he said.</p>

<h2><strong>‘I was hurt, left INDIA bloc’</strong></h2>

<p>After submitting his resignation, Nitish Kumar said he was hurt and hence left the INDIA bloc.</p>

<p>"The situation came to this pass as the state of affairs within the ruling alliance (Mahagathbandhan) in Bihar was not good. I sought the advice and opinions of everyone before coming to this decision. I took all opinions and suggestions to hear," Kumar told reporters</p>

<p>Hitting out at the RJD, his earlier alliance,&nbsp;whose leader Tejashwi Yadav was the deputy CM, Kumar said, "The alliance was sailing through choppy waters. Though we came together on the basis of a common minimum programme and promises to people, we failed to live up to the expectations and discharge our salient duties. Eventually, we fell out and even stopped being on speaking terms."</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Political leaders in India on Sunday (Jan 28) reacted to Janata Dal (United) President Nitish Kumar exiting the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) in Bihar and rejoining hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Political leaders in India on Sunday (Jan 28) reacted to Janata Dal (United) President Nitish Kumar exiting the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) in Bihar and rejoining hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Kumar, the president of the JD(U), was appointed as the acting chief minister by the governor after tendering his resignation. Citing sources from Bihar BJP, news agency ANI reported that CM Kumar and two deputy CMs from the BJP are likely to take oath later on Sunday. These developments come just months before the Lok Sabha election in India. Click here to follow all updates on the political crisis in Bihar The Grand Alliance in Bihar consists of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Congress, and other Left Parties. This is Kumar's fifth switch to a political alliance in a decade. During his tenure as CM, Kumar has several times switched between political alliances. Politicians react Reacting to Kumar's decision to dump the Grand Alliance, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said he knew this would happen. "Earlier, he and we were fighting together. When I talked to Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav, they also said that Nitish is going. If he (Nitish) wanted to stay, he would have stayed but he wants to go. That's why we already knew this, but to keep the INDIA bloc intact, if we say something wrong, the wrong message will be sent," Kharge said. #WATCH | Jalpaiguri, West Bengal | Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications, Jairam Ramesh says, "It is not surprising that Nitish Kumar has resigned. He is a seasoned politician. He has been a Chief Minister for several years. But he keeps changing his political… pic.twitter.com/fRB0TTBLM8 — ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2024 × "It is not surprising that Nitish Kumar has resigned. He is a seasoned politician. He has been a chief minister for several years. But he keeps changing his political colours. He gives a tough challenge to chameleons. People of Bihar will give a befitting reply to him and to those who are making him dance from Delhi," Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications, Jairam Ramesh said. RJD leader Mrityunjay Tiwari speaking to ANI said, "What was left with him? The public is the master. It watches everything and it will demand an account for everything...". #WATCH | On INDIA alliance and Bihar political situation, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad says, " If the main man (Nitish Kumar) behind this alliance says so, then there was no future (for INDIA alliance). There is no vacancy for the Prime Ministerial post. BJP will have a historic… pic.twitter.com/fdaCiw270B — ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2024 × "If the main man (Nitish Kumar) behind this alliance says so, then there was no future (for INDIA alliance). There is no vacancy for the Prime Ministerial post. BJP will have a historic win in Lok Sabha polls and in Bihar we will win the whole 40 seats," former Union minister and BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad told the news agency. Also read | BJP appoints state election in-charges for Lok Sabha polls Hitting out at the Congress, JD(U) leader KC Tyagi said that the grand old party wanted to steal the leadership of the INDIA alliance. "Congress kept dragging the seat sharing, we kept saying that seat sharing needs to happen immediately...INDIA lacked plans to fight against BJP," he said. ‘I was hurt, left INDIA bloc’ After submitting his resignation, Nitish Kumar said he was hurt and hence left the INDIA bloc. "The situation came to this pass as the state of affairs within the ruling alliance (Mahagathbandhan) in Bihar was not good. I sought the advice and opinions of everyone before coming to this decision. I took all opinions and suggestions to hear," Kumar told reporters Hitting out at the RJD, his earlier alliance, whose leader Tejashwi Yadav was the deputy CM, Kumar said, "The alliance was sailing through choppy waters. Though we came together on the basis of a common minimum programme and promises to people, we failed to live up to the expectations and discharge our salient duties. Eventually, we fell out and even stopped being on speaking terms." (With inputs from agencies)

‘He gives tough challenge to chameleons’: Cong, RJD react to Nitish dumping Grand Alliance in Bihar

<p>End of Mahagathbandhan was expected but not the sudden exit of Nitish Kumar who took a moral high ground on the issue of corruption. His act of resignation on the principle of probity not only helps him to set aside the charge of having struck a deal with tainted Laloo, but also revives the issue of corruption against the Opposition. Patna will see new power partnering with JDU but the revival of the issue of corruption will take the breath away from the Opposition for the time.</p>

<p>This development was accompanied by Prime Minister Modi tweeting and congratulating the Bihar Chief Minister for taking a stand against corruption. This is a signal that the PM intends to revive the issue again closer to the election times, using it effectively against prominent Opposition faces in different parties. It will help to blunt the Opposition&rsquo;s campaign against Modi on several fronts. This development will also bring to a grind Congress&#39;s grand plan of building a grand alliance against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It also brings BJP and JDU together, putting a spanner in the Opposition&rsquo;s plan to counter BJP in the Hindi heartland during national elections. The thinking was that BJP will not be able to repeat its performance again but with Nitish, the BJP&rsquo;s vote will consolidate further.</p>

<p>Many would say that Nitish Kumar is a political shapeshifter, and he is being opportunistic.&nbsp; However, in politics, there are no permanent enemies or friends. It also reflects the reduced strength of the Congress to influence decision-making at the regional level. The decision would put further pressure on the Congress to explain its position on the issues of corruption that are plaguing the political system.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It is not without reason that Nitish Kumar mentioned Rahul Gandhi&rsquo;s name in the press conference. Rahul Gandhi tore the ordinance before the Lok Sabha elections, embarrassing then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue of corruption. It ended Laloo&rsquo;s political career but on the issue of Bihar&rsquo;s deputy chief minister and Laloo&rsquo;s son Tejashwi Yadav, he came across taking a different political stand. One will have to wait and see as to how many Congress MLAs would remain with the party at the state level. Chances are high that the numerical strength of the Congress party will be further eroded in the legislature.</p>

<p>For Laloo, it is going to be a lonely walk in the national politics. He might receive support from other political parties but in the long run, he may run out of support as corruption will again become a dominant narrative as opposed to lynching and economic issues. But the biggest worry for the Opposition should be that they will not have a Prime Ministerial face in 2019. Nitish was being touted as a political face who could have united various regional satraps. Under the circumstances, however, the only option for the regional parties would be to push Rahul Gandhi on the Centre stage which in today&rsquo;s scenario is not a viable option as the party might not be able to create a consensus around his name.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The net gainer in the current scenario remains Nitish Kumar. He has not only dumped the incumbency of his tenure on the RJD but has also come out unscathed and reinvented himself by taking a position on the issue of corruption. RJD will only have the option of launching a personal attack against Nitish. But all such attacks usually have a limited time span.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Lastly, the current development should also be food for thought for the Congress Party. Congress has been after alliance building from state to state. For instance, in Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. The sole motive of these alliances is to defeat Bhartiya Janta Party. So far, it has been unsuccessful to reap political benefits of the alliance except in Bihar. The Congress, therefore, needs to introspect about its shrinking strength and BJP&rsquo;s ability to sideline the grand old party through maneuvering political developments in the states. Rather than finding purpose in defeating BJP, the Congress needs to rebuild itself. The wait can be long but the return would be meaningful and lasting.</p>


The revival of the issue of corruption -- that is why Nitish resigned, ostensibly -- will take the breath out of the Opposition for the time being

End of Mahagathbandhan was expected but not the sudden exit of Nitish Kumar who took a moral high ground on the issue of corruption. His act of resignation on the principle of probity not only helps him to set aside the charge of having struck a deal with tainted Laloo, but also revives the issue of corruption against the Opposition. Patna will see new power partnering with JDU but the revival of the issue of corruption will take the breath away from the Opposition for the time. This development was accompanied by Prime Minister Modi tweeting and congratulating the Bihar Chief Minister for taking a stand against corruption. This is a signal that the PM intends to revive the issue again closer to the election times, using it effectively against prominent Opposition faces in different parties. It will help to blunt the Opposition’s campaign against Modi on several fronts. This development will also bring to a grind Congress's grand plan of building a grand alliance against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It also brings BJP and JDU together, putting a spanner in the Opposition’s plan to counter BJP in the Hindi heartland during national elections. The thinking was that BJP will not be able to repeat its performance again but with Nitish, the BJP’s vote will consolidate further. Many would say that Nitish Kumar is a political shapeshifter, and he is being opportunistic. However, in politics, there are no permanent enemies or friends. It also reflects the reduced strength of the Congress to influence decision-making at the regional level. The decision would put further pressure on the Congress to explain its position on the issues of corruption that are plaguing the political system. It is not without reason that Nitish Kumar mentioned Rahul Gandhi’s name in the press conference. Rahul Gandhi tore the ordinance before the Lok Sabha elections, embarrassing then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue of corruption. It ended Laloo’s political career but on the issue of Bihar’s deputy chief minister and Laloo’s son Tejashwi Yadav, he came across taking a different political stand. One will have to wait and see as to how many Congress MLAs would remain with the party at the state level. Chances are high that the numerical strength of the Congress party will be further eroded in the legislature. For Laloo, it is going to be a lonely walk in the national politics. He might receive support from other political parties but in the long run, he may run out of support as corruption will again become a dominant narrative as opposed to lynching and economic issues. But the biggest worry for the Opposition should be that they will not have a Prime Ministerial face in 2019. Nitish was being touted as a political face who could have united various regional satraps. Under the circumstances, however, the only option for the regional parties would be to push Rahul Gandhi on the Centre stage which in today’s scenario is not a viable option as the party might not be able to create a consensus around his name. The net gainer in the current scenario remains Nitish Kumar. He has not only dumped the incumbency of his tenure on the RJD but has also come out unscathed and reinvented himself by taking a position on the issue of corruption. RJD will only have the option of launching a personal attack against Nitish. But all such attacks usually have a limited time span. Lastly, the current development should also be food for thought for the Congress Party. Congress has been after alliance building from state to state. For instance, in Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. The sole motive of these alliances is to defeat Bhartiya Janta Party. So far, it has been unsuccessful to reap political benefits of the alliance except in Bihar. The Congress, therefore, needs to introspect about its shrinking strength and BJP’s ability to sideline the grand old party through maneuvering political developments in the states. Rather than finding purpose in defeating BJP, the Congress needs to rebuild itself. The wait can be long but the return would be meaningful and lasting.

As 'mahagathbandan' ends in Bihar, corruption comes back to haunt Opposition