Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar‘s political maneuverings have come under scrutiny once again, with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Tejashwi Yadav accusing him of being out of touch with reality and clinging to the past. Tejashwi Yadav revealed that despite offering Nitish Kumar outside support, the Chief Minister declined, leading to further speculation about his intentions.
Yadav explained that during the formation of the second Grand Alliance in July 2022, they extended an offer of outside support to Kumar, but he refused, citing it wouldn’t be appropriate. Even earlier, before the elections, party patriarch Lalu Yadav had personally met Kumar with the same offer, but to no avail.
Tejashwi Yadav expressed frustration over Kumar’s reluctance to acknowledge ground realities, stating that his party stood by Kumar despite his hesitations and even offered him continued support. However, Kumar’s actions, including dragging his feet on various issues, seemed deliberate and raised doubts about his commitment to the alliance.
Yadav highlighted the differences between the formation of the first and second Grand Alliances, emphasizing that despite reservations about Kumar’s track record of switching sides, they joined forces due to pressure from various quarters and the need to unite anti-BJP forces ahead of the 2024 elections.
The unraveling of the alliance, according to Yadav, stemmed from Kumar’s inability to adapt to changing circumstances and accept that his political era might be ending. He criticized Kumar for being “stuck in 2005 and 2010” and failing to recognize that times have changed.
Kumar’s blame on Chirag Paswan of the Lok Janshakti Party for JD(U)’s poor performance in the last state elections was seen by many as deflecting responsibility. The subsequent collapse of the alliance in 2022, with JD(U) accusing the BJP of attempting to split the party, further complicated the political landscape.
Despite Kumar’s recent oath-taking as Chief Minister for a record ninth time, forming a new government with the BJP, his stint with the second Grand Alliance was short-lived. Reports suggest that Kumar was discontent with the state of affairs within the alliance, including unclear poll preparations and being sidelined as a potential Prime Ministerial candidate.
The delays in seat-sharing talks for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls added to Kumar’s frustration, ultimately leading to his decision to rejoin forces with the BJP less than 18 months after parting ways.
Read More:
