Nitish Kumar Resigns as Bihar Chief Minister, Nears BJP Alliance

Patna: In a significant political development, Nitish Kumar tendered his resignation as the Chief Minister of Bihar today, fueling widespread speculation about his imminent return to an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The decision comes after days of intense political deliberations and uncertainties within the Grand Alliance.

Addressing the media after meeting the governor, Nitish Kumar stated, “I have resigned from the post of Chief Minister today. The new Grand Alliance that we created (in August 2022) is not in a good condition. The situation is not looking good.”

Sources indicate that Nitish Kumar’s swearing-in ceremony is expected to take place today, where he is anticipated to have two Deputy Chief Ministers from the BJP, namely Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Sinha.

The Janata Dal (United) chief visited the governor’s office to formally submit his resignation at 11 am. Prior to this, he held discussions with MLAs from his party at his official residence.

With this resignation, Nitish Kumar has distanced himself from the 28-party Opposition bloc INDIA, signaling his intent to form a coalition with the BJP. There are reports suggesting that Nitish Kumar may dismiss ministers affiliated with the alliance partner Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), led by Lalu Yadav.

The BJP and Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), or JD(U), have reportedly finalized a seat-sharing agreement for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, scheduled in three months. All BJP MLAs in Bihar have purportedly provided letters of support to Nitish Kumar, further solidifying the speculations.

In response to the evolving political scenario, BJP MLAs and MPs convened at 10 am at the party office in Patna to strategize. BJP President JP Nadda, along with other key leaders, is expected to arrive in Patna via a special charter flight at 3 pm today, underlining the gravity of the political developments in Bihar.