Is Nitish Kumar Exploring The Possibility Of An Alliance With The BJP?

Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar may just be considering the possibility of allying with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as reports surface of back-channel talks opening up between the two. This is an interesting development considering that a rift seems to have developed between Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Yadav.

The Financial Express has spoken about a Sunday Guardian report that says a senior JD(U) leader is meeting BJP leaders in Delhi to find a way for the parties to come together.

The mahagathbandhan (the grand alliance) that Kumar had formed last year – between himself, RJD and Congress – to defeat the BJP in state assembly elections seems to have developed cracks after the release of RJD leader and Siwan strongman Shahabuddin from jail recently. Upon release, Shahabuddin had called Kumar the “chief minister of circumstances” while Lalu, defending Shahabuddin, had not categorically opposed this statement.

Kumar’s interest in the BJP, however, does not seem one-sided. Kumar and two other JD(U) leaders were made part of the committee formed to celebrate the birth centenary of Jan Sangh founder Deendayal Upadhyay. Kumar had obliged despite having earlier displayed his opposition to the RSS, who had Upadhyay as a pracharak.

This new possible alliance makes good sense mathematically too. If the members of the Legislative Assembly from both the JD(U) and the BJP came together, their combined strength would be 123, one more than the required majority, as reported by the Financial Express report.