Bihar Political Crisis: The Journey of Nitish Kumar from an electrical engineer to Chief Minister of Bihar. Will Nitish Kumar join hands with NDA ?

While India is celebrating 75th Republic Day, the state of Bihar is experiencing one of the biggest political turmoils before the Lok Sabha Election 2024. Speculations are there that the current chief minister of Bihar, “Mr Nitish Kumar,” may end the partnership with RJD and join NDA again. The speculation got wind during the Republic Day programme on January 26, 2024, at Gandhi Maidan when Bihar CM’s Nitish Kumar sat on his chair reserved for him, but the next chair, which was reserved for Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, he did not sit there, and Mr Ashok Chaudhary removed the sticker of Deputy CM and sat on the same chair. The same created a stir to the ongoing tussles between current CM Nitish Kumar and Deputy CM.

Political Career of Bihar Chief Minister – Nitish Kumar

Why Bihar CM’ may take a “U” Turn towards BJP

• Bihar’s CM wanted to be the prime ministerial candidate and initially urged all parties to join hands to form an India alliance against the BJP-led NDA. There were banners across the state that stated, “Desh ka PM kaisa ho, Nitish Kumarjaisa ho” (The country needs a PM like Nitish Kumar), but the same initiative was hijacked by the Congress. Thus, the Bihar CM decided to skip the “Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra” of the Congress Party.
• As Bihar CM’s Nitish Kumar was aspiring to be the Prime Minister Candidate, Deputy CM of Bihar “Tejashwi Yadav” was aspiring to be the Chief Minister of Bihar during the same period.
• But all their aspirations have fallen apart, as there is no scope for Nitish Kumar to become the Prime Minister candidate for the upcoming Lok Sabha election in 2024.
• This was the main reason that irked the former RJD supremo and CM of Bihar, Lalu Yadav, who wanted his son Tejashwi Yadav” to become the CM of Bihar.
• There was speculation that RJD was engineering a split in the JDU in association with one of the top leaders of the JDU, “Mr. Lallan Singh.”
• Nitish Kumar got the wind and removed Lallan Singh from the top of the JDU party.
• Since then, there have been speculations and rumours. But just a day ago, former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi claimed that Nitish would break the alliance with the RJD on January 25, 2024.
• Now the current speculation is that Nitish Kumar will cut off all ties with RJP and join hands with the NDA. He will maintain his post as Bihar CM along with two other Deputy CMs, “Sushil Kumar Modi” and “Renu Devi.”
• Other politicians who will be part of the “New Ministerial Team” include Alok Ranjan Jha, Amrendra Pratap Singh, Janak Ram, Jeevan Mishra, Mangal Pandey, Narayan Prasad, Neeraj Kumar Singh, Nitin Navin, Pramod Kumar, Rampreet Paswan, Ram Surat Ray, Samrat Chaudhary, Santosh Majhi (son of former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi), Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, Subhash Singh, and Tarkishore Prasad

Challenges in Bihar Politics

• The state has witnessed a continuous saga of power struggles, frequent alliances, and the rise and fall of political parties. Post-independence, Bihar was plagued by socio-economic challenges such as poverty, illiteracy, and corruption. The political landscape reflected these challenges, with frequent changes in leadership and a lack of stability.
• Challenge 1: Caste-based politics has been the mainstream of Bihar politics. Caste identity plays a crucial role in determining electoral outcomes, leading to the formation of caste-based alliances and the consolidation of vote banks.
• Challenge 2: Another factor contributing to the turmoil of Bihar politics is the prevalence of dynastic politics. Many prominent leaders in the state come from political families, leading to a concentration of power within certain families or groups.
• Challenge 3: Bihar politics is marked by a web of ever-changing alliances. Political parties often form alliances before elections, leading to quick shifts in power dynamics. This frequent horse-trading and alliance formation not only creates instability but also raises questions about the integrity and ideology of the parties involved.
• Challenge 4: Many financial scams have been reported, and former CM Lalu Yadav has been convicted in some of the scams. Though the current CM’s had a good name, the “Image of Sushasan Babu” was dented when the Bihar Govt awarded a Rs 1,600 crore ambulance contract to” Patna-based Pashupatinath Distributors Private Limited (PDPL) of JD(U) MP’s kin, and the collapse of the Rs 1,710-crore bridge coming up across Ganga in Bhagalpur crashed for the second time in 14 months.
• Challenge 5: Effective law and order implementation has been the biggest challenge in Bihar, which has further contributed to the political turmoil in the state. Historically, the state has struggled with issues like crime, corruption, and inadequate law enforcement.

These challenges not only influence the political landscape but also deter investment and the development of the state. The ongoing political turmoil in Bihar has had a detrimental effect on the development and progress of the state. The lack of stability and constant power shifts hindered long-term planning and the implementation of developmental projects. Critical sectors like education, healthcare, and infrastructure suffered as a result, making the state one of the backward states of India. However, with increased awareness and active citizen engagement, there is potential for positive change. Ultimately, the people of Bihar must play a pivotal role in shaping the state’s destiny by actively participating in the democratic process and holding their leaders accountable. Only time will tell if the changes in Bihar politics will indeed be for the better, but the potential for transformation is undeniably present which may unfold in the next few days.