Nitish Kumar breaks alliance with BJP as battle for Bihar intensifies
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Putting all speculations to rest, Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) supremo Nitish Kumar ended his party's alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party in Bihar. Nitish Kumar has sought an appointment with Governor Phagu Chauhan at 4 pm, sources close to the development said.
JD(U) sources said Nitish Kumar is unlikely to resign from the chief ministership and may simply seek to replace BJP ministers with those of other parties, which may support his party in continuing the government.
The tension between the two parties hit a breakpoint over Nitish Kumar's concerns that Union Minister Amit Shah is working relentlessly to split the Janata Dal (United).
Nitish Kumar is reportedly convinced that Amit Shah wants to repeat the Maharashtra model in Bihar -- Uddhav Thackeray was forced to quit as Chief Minister after Eknath Shinde, a senior leader from his party, the Shiv Sena, instigated a huge revolt in partnership with the BJP. Eknath Shinde was rewarded by the BJP with the post of Maharashtra Chief Minister.
To this end, Nitish Kumar blames RCP Singh, a former leader from his own party, for serving as Amit Shah's proxy. RCP Singh quit the JDU on the weekend after his party accused him of deep corruption.
In 2017, RCP Singh joined the Union cabinet as the representative of Nitish Kumar's party. The Bihar Chief Minister was upset about being offered only one cabinet position. Yesterday, his closest aide said that RCP Singh had decided to join the centre of his own accord and had informed Nitish Kumar that Amit Shah had said he alone was acceptable as the JDU rep in the cabinet. "Will Amit Shah decide our party's matters?" said Rajeev Ranjan Singh aka Lalan Singh, who is the president of the JDU.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD, which is Bihar's single-largest party, also met today to discuss the Bihar crisis. The party is headed by Tejashwi Yadav. The party is expected to formally announce its support for Nitish Kumar, reviving an earlier alliance with him (the partnership lasted for less than three years). After that, 32-year-old Tejashwi Yadav is expected to accompany Nitish Kumar to a meeting with the Governor.
The Congress has also begun a series of meetings in Bihar to decide its stand on possible support for Nitish Kumar.