Amidst widespread speculations regarding Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s upcoming political decisions, the ruling ‘Mahagathbandhan’s’ partner, RJD, published a full-page advertisement in prominent state newspapers on Sunday. The advertisement prominently featured Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, sidelining Janata Dal (United) supremo Nitish Kumar. The RJD expressed gratitude to Tejashwi for various developmental initiatives, including the creation of over 4 lakh government jobs and boosting the state’s tourism sector. This development follows intense rumors suggesting Nitish Kumar’s potential return to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), potentially leading to the dissolution of the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ government in the state.
The dynamic political scenario was set in motion by a social media post from Rohini Acharya, former CM and RJD chief Lalu Yadav’s daughter. In her post, she criticized the JD(U), referring to it as a ‘socialist party’ that claims to be progressive but changes its ideology with shifting political winds.
Meanwhile, Nitish Kumar has reportedly requested a meeting with the state Governor Rajendra Arlekar at Raj Bhavan in Patna. Both the BJP and JD(U) are conducting separate meetings on Sunday. Speaking about the BJP meeting, party leader Ram Narayan Mandal mentioned a focus on expanding and strengthening their organizational presence in the state. On the fate of the grand alliance, he deferred commenting, stating that only the top leadership would articulate their position on the current state of affairs.
In a peculiar twist of events, JD(U) minister Sanjay Jha, considered a close aide of CM Nitish, did not attend the meeting at the chief minister’s residence in his official vehicle. If Nitish Kumar decides to switch sides, it would mark the fourth instance of such a political move for him. In a subsequent post, Rohini Acharya reiterated her commitment to the fight against ‘communal forces,’ stating that the struggle would persist until their last breath.