Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, leader of JD (U), has established himself as a distinguished politician. He has not only brought about rapid development in his state but also acquired a good image in Pakistan as a representative of the country. The political game he is playing on the national scene now emerges from the uncertainties of coalition politics at the Centre. He is anxious to know when the NDA led by the BJP will declare who its Prime Ministerial candidate will be. He has launched an attack on the BJP and its bid to project Narendra Modi for the top job. He has also slammed the Congress for the lapses in the economy. Kumar is obviously out to strike a bargain with the BJP and queer the pitch for Modi. On the other hand, Narendra Modi appears to be the BJP’s most popular candidate. The party cannot afford to alienate the phalanx of his supporters.
But Kumar has to face a challenge inside Bihar. He has to be on firm ground in his state to be a gamechanger at the Centre. His electoral successes in Bihar have largely been due to his party’s alliance with the BJP. A split will put the JD (U) in trouble. The cases of Naveen Patnaik (BJD) in Odisha and Mamata Banerjee (TMC) in Bengal are different. The JD (U) and the BJP are in no position to drift apart in Bihar. All this however may be simplifying political equations. Coalition politics are kaleidoscopic. Nitish Kumar is known for his political savvy but can he be powerful enough in the national jigsaw puzzle? He is already under fire from both Congress and BJP leaders.
