Nitish Kumar said he left the decision on Chirag Paswan to the BJP (Archive)
Bihar Prime Minister Nitish Kumar, whose Janata Dal United has suffered a severe blow in state elections due to the Chirag Paswan factor, said today that he has left the decision on Party chief Lok Janshakti to the BJP. The decision on who will be the Chief Minister must be made by the NDA, he said in response to a question, indicating that the issue could be reviewed despite previous assurances from the BJP that he would retain the post.
Chirag Paswan’s rebellion against his leadership and the decision to go solo has relegated Kumar to the position of junior partner in the decades-long alliance with the BJP. Although Paswan’s LJP had won just one seat, Kumar said its separate presence has reduced JDU votes, resulting in the loss of nearly 30 seats.
From 71 seats in 2015, the JDU has been reduced to 43 seats, in what has been a major loss of face for the three-time head of government, making him dependent on the BJP for a long-desired fourth term.
The BJP, which had lost the alliance with Uddhav Thackeray in Maharashtra over a disagreement over the top post, has maintained from the beginning that Kumar will remain its prime minister in Bihar.
Even after the results, its leaders have reiterated that Kumar will keep his post.
But his party’s poor performance has also sparked gossip from a section of the BJP that the position should no longer be considered a given.
Much also depends on whether Chirag Paswan is allowed to return to the alliance and government in the state. The 37-year-old had rebelled against Kumar’s leadership and had competed alone, saying that his goal was a “Nitish-mukt Bihar” where he would form a government in alliance with the BJP.
When asked about the issue today, Kumar said, “It is up to the BJP to decide the fate of those who cut the votes,” indicating deep misgivings regarding the BJP’s inaction on the issue.
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