While Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) on Sunday rebuffed speculation of a rift with ally BJP asserting “all is well”, the political pot remained abuzz with news that the coalition government in Bihar is on the verge of a collapse.
The JD(U) is likely to announce the split from alliance partner BJP soon, reported NDTV quoting sources, adding that the JD(U) is planning to form an alternative government along with the Tejashwi Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Left Front, and the Congress. Meanwhile, a News18 report claimed that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has sought time to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
Upset with the BJP, the JD(U) has also called a parliamentary meeting of all its MPs, MLAs and MLCs on Tuesday. The move comes after Nitish Kumar skipped the NITI Aayog meeting chaired by PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Sunday.
JD(U) also said it will not join the Union council of ministers, where it has been left with no representation after the resignation of RCP Singh.
Recent tiffs between JD(U) and BJP’s Bihar unit have led to speculation of another political churn in the offing in the state. Sources close to Kumar attributed his absence from Delhi to post-Covid debility. Nitish Kumar had tested positive for Covid-19 on July 25 but attended a function in Patna on Sunday where he shared the dais with his Cabinet colleagues, including BJP leaders Syed Shahnawaz Hussain and Tarkishore Prasad.
There was speculation that JD(U) could send its national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan to the Union Cabinet, with RCP Singh quitting. Lalan said the decision not to join the Cabinet was taken by Kumar.