Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar, after resigning as the Chief Minister of Bihar and breaking away from the ruling Mahagathbandhan alliance, expressed his initial reaction, stating, “I left the INDIA Alliance.” Kumar submitted his resignation to Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at Raj Bhavan in Patna and also called for the dissolution of the government in the state.
Speaking to reporters outside Raj Bhavan, Kumar explained, “Today, I have resigned as the Chief Minister, and I have also told the Governor to dissolve the government in the state.” He cited internal issues within the alliance, saying, “This situation came because not everything was alright. I was getting views from everyone. I listened to all of them. Today, the government has been dissolved.” Kumar announced the decision to sever ties with the Mahagathbandhan, which included the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress.
VIDEO | "I was hurt. I left the INDIA Alliance": Here's what Nitish Kumar said after resigning as Bihar CM earlier today. #NitishKumar #BiharPoliticalCrisis pic.twitter.com/M9qvhYpwvu
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 28, 2024
This move marked Kumar’s departure from the Mahagathbandhan, which he joined in 2022 after resigning as Chief Minister and ending ties with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Nitish Kumar will continue as the caretaker Chief Minister until a new government is formed in Bihar.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to submit a ‘Letter of Support’ to JD(U) and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to stake a claim to form the next alliance government. The oath-taking ceremony is anticipated to take place at 4 pm.
Following Kumar’s defection, it is likely that he will return to the NDA fold. In the current political scenario, the Rashtriya Janata Dal remains the single-largest party in the 243-member Bihar Assembly with 79 MLAs but falls short of the required majority of 122. The Mahagathbandhan, before Kumar’s exit, held 159 MLAs. After the defection, the alliance is eight MLAs short of staking a claim to form the next government in Bihar. The Congress, with 19 MLAs, and the BJP, with 78 MLAs, are key players in the unfolding political landscape.