Nitish Kumar likely to be back with BJP: A timeline of JD(U) supremo’s U-turns since 2013

Nitish Kumar likely to be back with BJP: A timeline of JD(U) supremo’s U-turns since 2013

Speculations are rife that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will possibly cross over to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) again — an alliance he left in 2022 to join hands with the Opposition. Amidst talks of a rift in the INDIA alliance, the RJD and JD(U) held separate meetings whereas BJP state president Samrat Choudhary left for Delhi to hold discussions with top party leaders. The Bihar CM’s latest comments on ‘dynasty politics’ have added to these rumours, inviting a reply from Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Singapore-based daughter Rohini Achary. Here’s a look at a timeline of Nitish Kumar’s multiple political jumps through the years:

🗓️ 2013: JDU-BJP alliance breaks

When Nitish had severed ties with the BJP in 2013, it was on the ground that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) should have a leader with a “clean and secular image”. He parted ways when it became clear that the then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi was going to be the BJP-led NDA’s prime ministerial face for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. After walking out of the NDA then, Nitish had given a call for “Sangh-mukt Bharat”. Nitish had also gone on to declare that “mitti mein mil jayenge, BJP ke saath wapas nahi jayenge (I would prefer to be reduced to dust rather than going back to BJP)”.

🗓️ 2015: RJD and JDU unite

In the run-up to the November 2015 elections to the 243-member state Assembly, Nitish joined hands with the arch rival Lalu Prasad-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress and some other smaller parties to form a “Grand Alliance” which won 178 seats, with Nitish again taking over as the CM.

🗓️ 2017: JDU sides with BJP after breaking away from RJD

In mid-2017, the CBI conducted raids at Lalu’s premises in an alleged IRCTC scam in which the then Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, Lalu’s son, was also named as one of the accused for allegedly being a beneficiary of the land transfers from the RJD supporters for railway jobs. As Tejashwi was Nitish’s deputy, the latter wanted him to explain his position in public and had also expected him to resign and returned to the NDA after Tejashwi’s refusal to resign. Nitish then formed the government in BJP with the BJP. Continuing as the CM, he resumed his camaraderie with the BJP’s Sushil Kumar Modi as his deputy. Things went on smoothly till the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, when the BJP won all 17 seats it fought from and the JD (U) bagged 16 of 17 seats the party contested. With the LJP winning six of six seats it contested, the NDA’s tally rocketed to 39 out of the total 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state – its best-ever performance.

🗓️ 2022: JDU BJP breaks apart and Nitish becomes CM

JD (U) leader Nitish Kumar returned to the Mahagathbandhan and Tejashwi in 2022. Nitish ended his alliance with the BJP, resigned as the coalition Chief Minister, only to stake claim again hours later with Tejashwi as his deputy. He formed a new government with the support of the RJD, Congress, CPI, CPI (M-L) and HAM (S) and an Independent making a team of 164 MLAs in a House of 243.

🗓️ 2024: Nitish on the verge of leaving INDIA

With cracks in the INDIA alliance just months before Lok Sabha polls, political all eyes are on Nitish Kumar, who is most likely to part ways with the Mahagathbandhan.

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