Sources: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar seeks time to meet Governor today

Amid the ongoing political upheaval in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is reportedly scheduled to meet the Governor today, according to sources. Nitish Kumar, the Chief Minister of Bihar, has sought an appointment with the Governor this morning, fueling speculations of a potential departure from the Mahagathbandhan government, as per sources.

While Nitish Kumar has not disclosed his next course of action, there are widespread speculations suggesting a potential rift between the Mahagathbandhan alliance and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar joining the NDA.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to hold a meeting with its MLAs and MPs in Patna at 9 am today to strategize in response to the evolving political situation in the state.

The ruling JD(U)-RJD-Congress coalition in Bihar is on the verge of collapsing, with the possibility that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar might align with the NDA again, the alliance from which he separated in 2022 to form the ‘mahagathbandhan.’

The BJP, with the largest contingent of 17 MPs in Bihar out of a total of 40 Lok Sabha members, is a significant player. The JD(U), led by Nitish Kumar, has 16 MPs, and another NDA ally, LJP, now split between Pashupati Kumar Paras and Chirag Paswan, has six MPs.

In the Bihar Assembly comprising 243 seats, the RJD holds 79 MLAs, followed by the BJP with 78, the JD(U) with 45, the Congress with 19, the CPI (M-L) with 12, and two each for the CPI(M) and CPI. The Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) has four seats, and the AIMIM has one, along with one Independent legislator.

If Nitish Kumar decides to switch sides, it would be the fourth time he has made such a political move. However, Bihar BJP chief Samrat Choudhary dismissed the speculation, stating that the party’s high command is currently unaware of any such developments.

“Neither has Nitish Kumarji resigned nor has anybody withdrawn support. Only if something happens, then we will have any information. At present, the BJP wants to assess the situation of Bihar, and then we will make a decision accordingly,” Choudhary mentioned while addressing reporters in Patna. He added, “We will get informed only if Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives information regarding the same.”