Patna: Nitish Kumar submitted his resignation to the governor in the morning, subsequently taking the oath as Bihar's Chief Minister today, garnering support from the BJP and Jitan Ram Manjhi's party. While this move may temporarily benefit the BJP with upcoming Lok Sabha elections, it also postpones challenges to Nitish Kumar's political career within the JDU. The uncertainty lingers given Kumar's history of changing positions, raising doubts about his commitment to the decision to join the NDA and the longevity of his alliance. The shifting stances of Nitish Kumar and Amit Shah, who previously claimed closed doors to NDA for Kumar, pose challenges for local leaders of JD(U) and BJP in facing public perception. Despite this, both parties seem to rely on the appeal of Ram Mandir and Narendra Modi in the political landscape.
In just two days, the media shifted its narrative from "Ram ayenge" to "Nitish aayenge," a move that not only surprised but also played a role in normalizing Nitish's defection politics. Criticism for his behavior seems to have largely vanished. The expedited developments on Republic Day, a day celebrating India's democracy, revealed the paradox of the head of Bihar contemplating defection, with arrangements being made for the switch to the NDA, tacitly glorified by the media. This transformation in media portrayal ironically folded into the hegemony of Nitish Kumar and his politics.
Amidst Nitish Kumar's switching focus, the BJP insisted that he submit his resignation first to avoid potential embarrassment. The demand aimed at preventing any perception of the BJP supporting the existing JDU-RJD government and showcasing a lust for power. Upon the submission of the resignation by Nitish, senior JDU leader KC Tyagi, in media interactions, highlighted the Congress Party's perceived stubbornness as a significant factor, along with issues created by the RJD, leading to Nitish's exit.
Whereas, the RJD and the Congress made a significant mistake by not firmly declaring their stances before Nitish Kumar's resignation. Since both the parties already knew that Nitish was anyhow going to resign, retracting support for the Nitish government, by both the parties, before his attendance at the Republic Day ceremony and the ceremony at Raj Bhawan, could have conveyed a strong message against Nitish's decision to join the NDA. Such a move could have brought embarrassment to Nitish as the Chief Minister leading a minority government. It could also have fostered solidarity between the Congress and RJD, exposing the BJP's claims of merely observing the situation and downplaying their interest in forming a government with Nitish. Unfortunately, the indecisiveness of both the RJD and Congress led to a missed opportunity.
Additionally, Nitish Kumar's statement dismissing the INDI Alliance as a futile exercise without any outcome has effectively deflated the initial enthusiasm surrounding the alliance. This declaration seems to undermine the significance of the meetings held at various locations over the past year, hinting at the alliance's diminishing relevance.
