Explained: The way forward for Nitish Kumar if he breaks up with the BJP

Amid speculation of a split between the Janata Dal (United) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar meets his party MLAs in Patna today.At the meeting, the JD(U) will take a call on the way forward. Kumar has been upset with its alliance partner for several reasons and by skipping meetings called by the Centre he made his displeasure clear.However, the final nail in the coffin was the quitting of his one-time close aide RCP Singh, who the CM believes is Amit Shah’s proxy in Bihar.Also read: From Nitish’s closest confidante to ‘Amit Shah’s man’: Who is RCP Singh at the centre of JD(U)-BJP drama?The BJP is attempting to placate the miffed JD(U) boss with key party members reaching out to him. Shah reportedly had a phone conversation with Kumar on Monday. But it looks like “Paltu Ram”, as the Bihar CM is called by rivals, is all set to switch sides once again. If Kumar dumps the BJP, this will be the fifth time he has parted ways with an ally.What happens if the BJP-JD(U) alliance breaks up in Bihar? What are the options ahead of Kumar? We take a look.The JD(U)’s stand Ahead of the meeting called by Nitish Kumar, JD(U) MLA Vinay Chaudhary said that the BJP has harassed Nitish Kumar and added that there was a conspiracy to weaken the party. He further said that if there was a need to form a government with the RJD, then his party will do that.“There was a conspiracy to weaken JD(U) which is not acceptable to the party. We all are with Nitish Kumar, whatever he decides. If there is a need to form a government with RJD, then also there is no problem. But Nitish Kumar will remain CM,” Chaudhary said, according to News18.The support of RJDLeaders of Kumar’s party have reportedly spoken to Rashtriya Janata Dal’s (RJD) Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, the son of Lalu Prasad Yadav, who is now leading the party.The Opposition RJD is holding a meeting at Rabri Devi’s residence in Patna. RJD state President Jagdanand Singh claimed that his party was ready for every war.Amid a growing rift with the BJP, the JD(U) has been warming up to its former alliance partner RJD. They have avoided taking potshots at each other and Kumar even accompanied Tejashwi, Leader of the Opposition, to the CM House gates after an iftaar party, reports The Indian Express.Sources in the RJD told the newspaper that a tie-up with the JD(U) was “almost a done deal and there are only a few hiccups on the matter of leadership and portfolio distribution”.[caption id="attachment_11032771" align="alignnone" width="640"] Nitish Kumar and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav have warmed up to each other over the last few months. PTI[/caption]Congress’ unconditional supportNitish Kumar reportedly had a phone conversation with Congress president Sonia Gandhi.The Bihar Congress has extended its unconditional support to the Bihar CM if he joins the Opposition camp after snapping ties with the BJP. The announcement was made after a meeting with Congress MLAs and MLCs at the residence of Congress legislature party leader Ajit Sharma late on Monday, which was attended by Bihar in charge of the party Bhakt Charan Das.The party has asked its legislators to stay put in Patna in the wake of the political developments.Congress national secretary and MLA Shakil Ahmed Khan said that whatever happening in Bihar was a good sign as the saffron party, which has a history of creating problems for its allies, is getting a taste of its own medicine. “We always believe that parties with similar ideologies (samaan vichardhara) should come together. If the CM’s JD(U), which believes in socialist ideology, quits BJP we will definitely welcome it,” Khan told PTI.The backing of small partiesKumar also has the backing of smaller parties like the Hindustan Awam Morcha and Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist).Two CPI-ML MLAs arrived at Rabi Devi’s residence on Tuesday to participate in the RJD meeting.Mahagathbandhan on the cards?Talks of a Mahagathbandhan have resurfaced. All the opposition parties in Mahagathbandhan are participating in the meeting at Rabri Devi’s residence in Patna. CPI ML and Congress leaders are also present.Both the RJD and the Congress have hinted that they are ready for Grand Alliance 2.0 if Kumar splits with the BJP.It’s an experiment that the parties tried before Nitish Kumar decided to come back to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in 2017. The JD(U) boss had back then had ambitions to become the national convenor of the UPA and the prime ministerial candidate for 2019. However, his hopes were dashed after a meeting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.Now with the 2024 elections in mind, it might be a good time for the Bihar CM to make yet another attempt at national politics.It’s evident from estranged confidante RCP Singh’s statement that Kumar still has his eyes set on Delhi. “Nitish Kumar will not become Prime Minister in any of his seven lives,” he said, describing the JD(U) as a sinking ship.But with Mahagathbandhan 2.0 in the making, Kumar would make for a bankable PM face of the Opposition.Kumar’s development card still has many takers and it will help dilute the corrupt image of the RJD. For the Mahagathbandhan, his value is more in the Lok Sabha numbers, where the Congress and RJD lack faces with appeal beyond Bihar, according to a report in The Indian Express.If all works well, the Bihar CM could emerge as a credible face for the Opposition ready to take on the NDA in 2024.With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.