Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has changed sides again. He left the NDA led by the BJP after an alliance of 17 years. He was Railway Minister at the Centre and the Bihar Chief Minister in alliance with the BJP. He could not reconcile himself to Narendra Modi’s political orientation. He called for a Sangh-mukta Bharat. Nitish joined the tainted Laloo Prasad and the Congress to form a ministry. A mahagathbandhan was tied on the plank of secularism. Nitish has since then stressed the importance of secularism and social justice. He was at loggerheads with BJP Chief Amit Shah. He was even projected as an alternative Prime Minister. Has the CBI FIR against Tejaswi Yadav cancelled out all that?
The Nitish-BJP government which has now been sworn in has not been elected by the people of Bihar. Is the alliance for good governance or for the sake office? But of course the split with the RJD and then the Congress is significant. It was considered a model for Opposition unity. One suspects that the split has been caused by sheer opportunity. At the same time, Laloo’s refusal to come to terms with the political scene is relevant. The BJP under Modi has stood for individual merit and probity in public life. Nitish’s political record is also blameless. Laloo definitely tried to feather his son’s assets. He is notoriously corrupt.
The Bihar scene shows up the tactical acumen of the BJP’s political managers. They lose no time in cashing in on political flux and form governments. Goa and Manipur came first. Now Bihar is a big catch.
