Nitish Kumar jumping ship from INDIA to NDA? Speculation is rife
There were rumours earlier that Nitish would not join Rahul's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra when it enters Bihar on January 29
There is widespread speculation that Bihar Chief Minister and key INDIA bloc member Nitish Kumar of the JD(U) might return to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Quoting sources, an India Today report said the BJP has set a condition for Nitish to return to its alliance – that he must quit as chief minister.
Hindi news channel Jan Ki Baat, which focuses on elections and politics, also quoted sources as saying Nitish is set to jump ship again and is looking at legal options to dissolve the state assembly. An alliance of JD(U), Lalu Prasad's RJD and the Congress are ruling Bihar currently.
Undercurrents of fissure in the INDIA bloc were visible earlier with rumours that Nitish would not join Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra when it enters Bihar on January 29. The rally entered West Bengal today.
Praise for Modi
Yesterday, Nitish attacked dynastic politics while praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his government's decision to confer the Bharat Ratna on to Bihar's social justice icon Karpoori Thakur.
Over the past two days, Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal have indicated they are not keen on the INDIA bloc, and would be going it alone in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in their respective states.