Nitish Kumar returns to his home

Nitish Kumar resigns as Chief Minister of Bihar and was sworn in again within 15 hours in the fast political development in the state. After the CBI filed FIR against his Deputy CM and RJD supremo Lalu’s son Tejswi Yadav in the hotel-land scandal, it clearly appeared that the days were near to end Mahagathbandhan with CM breaking his company with it. He did it by resigning. Nitish’s JD(U) had parted ways with BJP on the issue of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2013 after being with the party as its coalition partner for 17 years. He had considered PM Modi as an anti-secular face in the BJP, and because the party announced his name as its Prime Ministerial candidate in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he parted ways with it. Nitish Kumar had broken alliance with BJP in 2013 on the issue of communalism. Being the tallest leader of JD(U), it is Nitish Kumar who initiated talks with the secular parties like Congress and RJD to form an alliance to take on BJP in 2015 assembly elections. A Mahagathbandhan of Congress, RJD and JD(U) was formed under his leadership to take on BJP in 2015 Bihar assembly elections. They fought assembly elections together and won with a massive mandate from the people of the state. An overwhelming majority of the people in the state reposed faith in Mahagathbanbandhan. They defeated BJP very badly and it was expected that this alliance would give a stiff challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi led NDA in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Lalu’s RJD emerged as the single largest party in assembly and alliance as well. Congress with 27 MLAs in the assembly emerged as the smallest partner in Mahagathbandhan. As it was decided earlier, Nitish Kumar was elected leader of the Mahagathbandhan legislative party and sworn in as Chief Minister of the state for 5th time after the assembly election results in 2015. Lalu’s two sons along with some other MLAs from his party were inducted into Nitish’s Council of Ministers. Lalu’s younger son Tejswi Yadav was appointed as the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar. These four ministers from Congress quota in the Nitish govt. Hardly had the alliance governed the state for two years, when the unease appeared from the statement of none other than CM Nitish Kumar that he was not comfortable with Lalu’s RJD in government and since then he started making way to go closer to BJP. The first indication of Nitish Kumar’s bonhomie with BJP reflected from his appreciation of the demonetization move of PM Modi. Second was the appreciation of surgical strike and third which is clear and final was his announcement of support to President Ram Nath Kovind in presidential election after the CBI raided Lalu’s residence and filed FIR against Deputy Chief Minister Tejswi Yadav in Hotel land scandal which had happened in 2008 when Lalu Yadav was Railway Minister in UPA govt. at the Centre. Various cases related to Benami property against Lalu’s daughter MP Misa Yadav were also leveled. Nitish wanted Tejswi to leave the govt. on his own as he is known for removing his ministers against whom charges of corruption were leveled in the past. He is known for his spotless image. But Tejswi Yadav is Lalu’s son that he knew very well that until he is arrested like his father in fodder scam, he will not resign. Corruption charges against Lalu and his clan are not new. Lalu is a convicted politician. Nitish Kumar should have thought about his taint free image in the long political career before entering into any sort of alliance with Lalu. But at that time, his aim was to defeat BJP at any cost. So, he compromised with corruption. But when he felt that Congress led opposition was not forthcoming in announcing his name as prime ministerial face in 2019 Lok Sabha elections and BJP was going stronger and stronger, he decided to save his position in the state by returning to his old fold and formed govt. again with it. Again, BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi has been made Deputy Chief Minister. Both had ruled the state together for 8 years from 2005 to 2013. Has the BJP now become secular under Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Nitish has gone back to it? Nitish Kumar has broken up Mahagathabandhan on the issue of corruption. Corruption and communalism both are cancerous. If Nitish Kumar wants to remain an unquestioned political leader in the country, he should have shunned BJP too as it is also not free of of the two vices – corruption and communalism.