Nitish Kumar is set to return as the Chief Minister of Bihar with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dropping hints of being open to a coalition with the Janata Dal (United) again. The move is expected to follow Nitish Kumar’s resignation, after which he will stake a fresh claim to form the government with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Sunday. The BJP is likely to choose two Deputy Chief Ministers, with Renu Devi as the apparent choice for an Extremely Backward Class (EBC) face. However, the second Deputy CM’s selection remains undecided, with options including Sushil Kumar Modi, Vijay Kumar Sinha, and Nityanand Rai under consideration.
The JD(U)’s 45 MLAs and the BJP’s 78, along with the support of one Independent legislator, form a majority of 124 MLAs, surpassing the required 122 in the Bihar Assembly. Despite this, the RJD, with 79 MLAs and the support of the Congress and three Left parties, can count on 114 MLAs, just eight short of a majority. The RJD might seek to reach out to some JD(U) MLAs to prevent Nitish Kumar from forming a government with the BJP. Jitan Ram Manjhi, leader of Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), who has four MLAs, denied any contact with the RJD and affirmed his support for the NDA.
The political situation in Bihar has witnessed significant developments, and the return of Nitish Kumar as Chief Minister seems imminent with the BJP’s backing.
