Why ‘Bihari’ Nitish once again allied with ‘Bahari’ Modi
AWAY FROM PUBLIC STATEMENTS, NITISH REALISED HIS FLING WITH RJD AND REST OF ANTIBJP PARTIES WAS NOT GOING ANYWHERE
“The opposition cannot be reactive but must have a substantive policy to fight NDA,” Nitish said when the Congress and RJD questioned his decision.
Things were not too smooth with the Congress as well, which accused Nitish of changing stance over his support to Kovind. The CBI raids against Prasad and his family offered him a perfect opportunity to end the coalition, which was fraying.
JD(U) spokesperson Ajay Alok said RJD was hampering governance. “We were very uncomfortable. Development was at a standstill. The RJD was stonewalling JD(U)’s attempts to move forward, carry on development works and act against crime and corruption,” Alok said. “We were not comfortable with the RJD as we were with the BJP in 2005.” Nitish said as much.
“The situation was choking us. The simple fact that the government’s policy to be transparent, clean and pursuit of zero tolerance for corruption was not acceptable to the RJD,” he said hours after resigning.
“I had never asked for Tejashwi’s resignation, only an explanation in public domain. Had the RJD accepted and stepped aside and not shown the intransigence, the grand alliance would have survived.”
The Nitish-BJP alliance, from 2005-2013, was by all accounts a success. Bihar made steady progress, crime was down, and women and Dalits benefitted from emphasis on governance. But the reverse happened after the tie-up with RJD, JD (U) leaders say. All gains were squandered. Kumar’s “ghar wapsi” will compromise his support among minorities and make it difficult for him to explain his dalliance with Prasad and BJP but if he manages to put Bihar back on growth path, he will have a credible explanation for switching sides, feels the JD(U).
Back as his deputy, senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said, “We will re-script the Bihar’s development post-2005 to emerge stronger. Of that, there is no doubt.”
Nitish becomes CM for the first time after assembly elections throw up a hung house. Lasts only till March 10
Janata Dal, led by Sharad Yadav, merges with Samta Party, forming JD (United).
CM Nitish begins second term that lasts till Nov 24, 2010
Returns to power
for the third term
Breaks alliance with BJP after it names Narendra Modi as PM candidate for 2014 Lok Sabha polls
Resigns as CM a day after NDA wins a landslide victory. NDA bags 31 of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar and JD (U) manages just two
Nitish names colleague Jitan Ram Manjhi as CM. Nitish and Manjhi fall apart after 276 days Nitish named CM candidate of JD (U)-led Grand Alliance (GA)
GA wins 178 out of 243 assembly seats, forms government
First signs of trouble in GA with RJD national vice-president Raghuvansh Prasad Singh blaming Nitish for law and order situation in Bihar
Nitish praises surgical strikes by the army across LoC
A day after demonetisation, Nitish and Lalu differ on Modi’s step
PM shares stage with Nitish in Patna, praises him on total prohibition
Nitish skips lunch hosted by Sonia Gandhi to discuss joint Opposition candidate for presidential post
It has been proved today that the political DNA of BJP and the Janata Dal (United) is identical — opportunism, treachery, hunger for power and disregard of people’s mandate.