Nitish Kumar – the angry dark horse
Can he convince Sonia Gandhi to support him now in lieu for his support later is the big question
Is the horse too old and feeble like Lalu?
Can he convince Sonia Gandhi to support him now in lieu for his support later is the big question
Bihar has been viewed negatively for about three decades now, but prior to that it was known not only for the gamechangers in national politics but also for the disproportionately high number of IITians and UPSC toppers.
The current CM of Bihar and JDU chief Nitish Kumar is both an astute politician and an NIT graduate. Though a man known for hist silent demeanour, people who have tracked him over the decades know him as a giant slayer. And he has been nursing deep wounds for years now and has risen above state politics by embracing his major opponent Lalu Prasad Yadav. What is he eyeing and what is his grudge so late in his career?
Notably, after being on the side of BJP for over a decade, Nitish Kumar broke its alliance with the NDA in June 2013 after Narendra Modi was announced the PM candidate. He joined the Mahagathbandhan along with Lalu’s RJD and the Congress.
However, after a few turns for a year and half, Nitish Kumar again became the CM of Bihar in early 2015. In 2017, he broke with the Mahagathbandhan and RJD and returned to the NDA fold. In August 2022, he broke with the NDA and rejoined the Mahagathbandhan. But this time, his grudge is out in the open – that against Narendra Modi. Nitish Kumar said the BJP wanted to do a Eknath Shinde in Bihar, but Bihar is known for toppling governments at the centre.
Soon after breaking with the NDA, his party announced that Nitish Kumar “Pradesh me dikha, desh me dikhega”. He says Man ki nahin, kam ki – meaning it is not about Man ki baat but kaam ki baat. Also jumla nahin, haqeeqat; badlao hoga; all targeting Modi’s politics (read The need for a strong opposition – MDDTimes).
His plan seems to be to unite the opposition parties against the BJP – (1) no party will oppose the strongest party in the region; (2) will use manpower and funds for the strongest party to win; (3) will win over minority votes using a favorable manifesto – oppose UCC and J&K bifurcation 370; (4) lure gruntled BJP members and allies; and (5) reaching a win-win deal with the Congress. Most of his plans seem achievable. However, there are two major bottlenecks. (1) Fence-sitters like the BSP could go either way during elections in 2024. (2) There are several PM contenders in the Mahagathbandhan – Mamata Banerjee, KCR, Sharad Pawar, and Rahul Gandhi. Sonia Gandhi has in the past left several people who suggested that Rahul Gandhi be considered for the post at a later time. Will Nitish Kumar be able to pull it off?
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