This week, Nitish Kumar made headlines by breaking away from the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar and establishing a new coalition government with the BJP, a party he had previously separated from in 2022.
Addressing reporters in Patna, the Chief Minister affirmed his commitment to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), declaring that he intends to stay within the alliance “forever.” Kumar criticized the INDIA bloc, stating that he had urged them to reconsider the name ‘Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance’ for the political group.
“I was urging them to choose another name for the alliance. But they had already finalized it. I was trying so hard. They did not do even one thing. Till today they haven’t decided which party will contest how many seats,” Kumar expressed, adding, “Then I left them and came back to who I was with initially. Now I will stay here forever. I will keep working for the people of Bihar.”
The Janata Jal (United) chief also announced that his new government would seek a trust vote in the Bihar Assembly on February 10.
The move marked the end of the 17-month-old coalition government led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), Congress, and Left parties. Hours later, he joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and was sworn in as chief minister for the third time in four years and the ninth time since 2005.
Notably, this isn’t the first time Kumar has switched political allegiances, having previously formed alliances with the BJP, fought elections independently, and aligned with various parties over the years. Congress General Secretary (Communication) Jairam Ramesh criticized Kumar for his political maneuvering, likening it to a series of U-turns.
