Will BJP reject Nitish Kumar, form own government with Samrat Chaudhary as CM?
Bihar’s political landscape has changed dramatically, with the BJP leading on 92 seats and its allies taking the tally to 122 (half-mark). With the NDA leading strongly and the JD(U) lagging behind the BJP, the question resurfaces: Will PM Modi sideline Nitish Kumar and install his own CM?
Nitish Kumar Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (File Image)
Bihar is the only state in Indian territory that does not have a BJP chief minister. Can the saffron party, which is ahead with 91 seats at the time of writing, dare to jettison Nitish Kumar and form its own government with its own leader as the chief minister? Prime Minister Narendra Modi said last week that he would appoint his own man as the chief minister of the state. Campaigning for Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary at Tarapur, he declared that he would make him a “bada aadami” if wins the elections. He dropped a hint that he would elevate the deputy chief ministership if the BJP gets enough seats.
Will PM Modi do as stated? NDA’s ruling coalition is ahead on 202 seats, BJP on 92 seats and JD(U) on 82 seats. However, the electoral arithmetic in Bihar has taken an interesting turn; Lok Janshakti Party is ahead with 21 seats, Jiten Manjhi-led HAM with 5 seats and Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Morcha with 4 seats. So, BJP’s (92), LJP (21), HAM (5) and RLP (4) take the total tally to 122 in the 243-member Bihar assembly. This is the halfway mark. So the saffron party can form the government without the help of JD(U).
