Nitish Kumar to resign today? Bihar CM seeks time to meet governor

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has reportedly sought time to meet the Governor today. 

Speculation is rife about Kumar breaking away from the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) government, a coalition that comprises Lalu Yadav-led RJD, and rejoining the BJP-led NDA, which he had quit less than two years ago.

The RJD is trying to cobble up numbers and create a perception that the party is not going down without a fight. They are also trying to chalk out a strategy if they can’t stop Nitish Kumar from becoming the Chief Minister again.

The party is also planning to raise the issue in the Bihar Assembly when a trust motion takes place during the budget session on February 5.

BJP legislators, MPs, functionaries and office bearers in Bihar are scheduled to meet on Sunday at 10 am, as per sources. The BJP's strategy is to wait for Nitish Kumar to resign first, they said. The sources added that the BJP will spring into action and call for a legislative party meeting once after Kumar tenders his resignation.

Following this, the JD(U) and the BJP will stake claims to form the government in Bihar as part of the NDA alliance, led by the saffron party. Oath-taking could happen a day later.

Commenting on the Bihar political scenario, BJP veteran Sushil Modi said on Friday that the "doors which are closed can open", and called politics "a game of possibilities". He, however, declined to speak in detail on the issue.

Ties between JD(U) and the RJD have been strained and reached their peak after Lalu Yadav's daughter Rohini Acharya on January 25 took to X to slam Nitish Kumar for his 'dynasty politics' remark. She has since deleted her cryptic tweets. Kumar’s utterances about 'parivarvad' had brought his alliance with the RJD on the rocks.

Nitish Kumar's possible return to the BJP-led NDA will be a jolt to the Opposition-headed INDIA alliance as he is a key member. On Friday, in an exclusive interview with India Today TV, Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Akhilesh Yadav said that had Nitish Kumar stayed with the INDIA bloc, the JD(U) chief could have become the Prime Minister.