Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar submitted his resignation to the Governor today after several days of speculation. His decision to change the alliance is quite surprising. That’s because over the past several months, he has been at the forefront at strategizing the INDIA Alliance block against the NDA. No one had expected that Nitish Kumar would rejoin the NDA given that he had left it in 2022.After leaving the alliance, he had sworn on many occasions as well that he would die rather join BJP led NDA alliance again.
Nitish Kumar’s entire political career is a prime case of study of switching alliances. In 2022, he quit the NDA and joined the Mahagathbandhan. Today he is back in the NDA. His relationship with the RJD and the BJP is very fascinating given he was always successful in striking a deal with both the camp. Whichever camp he switched over to, he was always successful in being appointed as chief minister. It is his ninth term for the chief ministerial position.
A look at Kumar’s Political Journey ?
Early years and alliances with BJP (1996-2013)
In 1996, Nitish Kumar became Minister for Railways and Minister for Surface Transport in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government, with which he had an early association with the BJP. He was also agriculture minister for short period of time.
From 2001 to May 2004, he was once again the railway minister.
In March 2000, Nitish was elected chief minister of Bihar for the first time. He was chief minister for only seven days.
In 2005, he led the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to victory in Bihar and became the chief minister with the support of the BJP. The government completed his five-year term.
The alliance continued as Nitish Kumar won a second term as an alliance partner with the BJP in 2010.
Alliance with RJD (2013-2017)
In 2013, Nitish Kumar ended his alliance with the BJP due to differences over Narendra Modi’s prime ministerial candidature.
Subsequently, he allied with the RJD and the Congress, which resulted in victory in the 2015 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections.
Nitish Kumar took over as chief minister with the support of RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav.
Return to alliance with BJP (2017-2022)
In 2017, Nitish Kumar resigned as chief minister and re-formed the new government with the support of the BJP, ending the alliance with the RJD due to corruption allegations against Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejasvi Yadav.
He fought the 2020 assembly election under the NDA alliance and became Chief Minister again.
With the RJD and India Alliance ((2022–24)
In 2022, he broke ties with the NDA and joined the Grand Alliance and remained at the position of chief minister.
Today on January 28, 2024, he deserted the Mahagathbandhan and joined NDA.
Throughout his political journey, Nitish Kumar held the post of chief minister with the help of BJP and sometimes the RJD. Nitish Kumar’s political journey has played a very important role in changing the political landscape of Bihar.
