Sign of things to come?

The Congress in Bihar is worried that more than two dozen of its 27 legislators might break away to join Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Sources in these parties said that Kumar, Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan, Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular)’s Jitan Ram Manjhi and some other small players in Bihar are concerned that an all-powerful BJP was unlikely to pay much heed to them, and that they should start preparing for an early election to the state Assembly, otherwise slated for 2020. The induction of Ashwini Kumar Choubey, a rival of Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Modi, into the Union Cabinet is also being seen in the Kumar camp as a sign of things to come. Kumar and Sushil Modi are friends.