Patna:
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar appears set for a second political volte-face in less than three years and is likely to return to an alliance with the BJP today. He will meet the Governor at 11.30 am and resign to start the process, sources said.
Amid the ongoing turmoil, JDU MLAs have started arrving Nitish Kumar’s residence for a meeting called by him.
Nitish Kumar is expected to tender his resignation today, sources said. It comes amid speculation that Nitish Kumar and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar may exit the 28-party Opposition bloc formed to take on the BJP-led Central government.
BJP MLAs and MPs will meet today at 10 am at the party office in Patna to further chalk out the strategy over the latest political situation in Bihar. BJP President JP Nadda along with few other BJP leaders will also reach Patna by special charter flight at 3 pm today.
A meeting of JDU MLAs is scheduled at Nitish Kumar’s residence at 10 am and BJP leaders will meet Nitish Kumar at his residence at around 11 am. Nitish Kumar may handover his resignation around 2 pm today, as per sources.
Nitish Kumar will sack ministers belonging to alliance partner and Lalu Yadav’s party Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) today, sources told NDTV.
The BJP and Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), or JD(U), have also finalised a seat-sharing agreement for the Lok Sabha election due in three months.
All BJP MLAs in Bihar have already given letters of support to Nitish Kumar, sources have said.
Here are the LIVE updates on Bihar Politics crisis:
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“Political turmoil is inevitable in the Mahagathbandhan. Even we are closely monitoring what’s going on in the media. Today, our National president will be visiting. When a political activity takes place, it is only natural to have good and bad implications for society and political parties,” Union Minister Giriraj Singh told news agency ANI.
“BJP is not a mute spectator but is seriously monitoring the situation. When the situation becomes clear, BJP will take a decision on the leadership,” he said.
JDU MLAs Meeting At Nitish Kumar’s House Begins
A meeting of JD(U) MLAs and leaders of the party has begun at the residence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna, reports news agency ANI.
A meeting of Bihar BJP MLAs and leaders of the party is underway at the party office in Patna, amid political developments in the state.
#WATCH | A meeting of Bihar BJP MLAs and leaders of the party is underway at the party office in Patna, amid political developments in the state. pic.twitter.com/Gsg9rIpg6h
– ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2024
On political developments in the state, former Bihar Deputy CM and BJP MLA Tarkishore Prasad says, “The central leadership is keeping an eye on this. I won’t be able to comment on this. We will follow the directions of the central leadership.”
#WATCH | Patna | Former Bihar Deputy CM and BJP MLA Tarkishore Prasad says, “A legislative party meeting has been called and we have come here for that. The agenda is not clear. We have been told to come, so we have come…”
On political developments in the state, he says, “The… pic.twitter.com/AVUbdtiYeg
– ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2024
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is likely to resign after chairing a meeting of JD(U) MLAs at his official residence on Sunday, party sources said.
Mr Kumar is expected to address the meeting after 10.30 am, they said.
Following the meeting, he is likely to visit the Raj Bhavan and submit his resignation letter to Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar. He will then stake claim to form a new government with the BJP’s support, they added. (PTI)
Faced with the possibility of imminent loss of power in Bihar, the RJD on Sunday put out full-page advertisements in newspapers to “thank” its young leader Tejashwi Yadav for his contributions as the deputy chief minister.
“Dhanyawad (thank you) Tejashwi,” say the advertisements put out in Hindi, from “state unit of Rashtriya Janata Dal, Mahagathbandhan Parivar”, in an obvious bid to boost the image of the 34-year-old leader, whose father Lalu Prasad heads the party.
The RJD, which emerged as the single largest party in the 2020 assembly polls, ended up in the opposition since the Mahagathbandhan, which includes Congress and three Left parties, fell short of a majority. (PTI)
JDU MLAs have started reaching Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s residence for the meeting. Nitish Kumar has called a meeting of its party legislators at 10 am.
#WATCH | Patna, Bihar | JD(U) MLAs begin arriving at the residence of CM Nitish Kumar for a meeting.
An MLA says, “I don’t know what the meeting is about. We will tell you whatever is discussed inside…” pic.twitter.com/xeALQV1WkF
– ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2024
#WATCH | Patna: On the current political situation in Bihar, RJD leader Mrityunjay Tiwari says, “… The people are watching everything and will keep a record of all this. The work done in the last 15 months with Tejaswi Yadav as deputy CM can never be forgotten. This is our… pic.twitter.com/gfAS3PUAmO
– ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2024
“Things Will Come Out In Open When…”: Lalu Yadav Party’s Leader
Amid political developments in Bihar, RJD Spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav told ANI, “Lalu Prasad, Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav had together formed the mahagathbandhan government in Bihar…In line with its traits, BJP started taking interest in Bihar politics. It was drooling for power in the state and started conspiring for it. When the resignation (of Nitish Kumar) will take place, things will come out in the open.”
Bihar Political Crisis Live Updates: Bihar BJP MLAs have started arriving at the party office in Patna for a meeting. The BJP will be holding a meeting of its legislators today as Nitish Kumar is expected to resign today as per sources. Party national president JP Nadda will also be arriving in Patna today.
#WATCH | Bihar BJP MLAs arrive at the party office in Patna for a meeting.
MLA Ram Singh says, “Meetings are going on Lok Sabha elections. The decision that comes from the top will be implemented. JP Nadda is coming here…We will win all 40 seats…” pic.twitter.com/haGopJUmUR
– ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2024
JD(U) MLC Neeraj Kumar says, “Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party has the right to take out a padayatra but the results of that padayatra – when he went to Bengal, Mamata Banerjee was sidelined and now when he is about to enter Bihar, the political scenario is changing here. So, Rahul Gandhi should do some self-introspection that where is his strategy failing so that wherever he goes, the allies start drifting apart.”
#WATCH | JD(U) MLC Neeraj Kumar says, “Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party has the right to take out a padayatra but the results of that padayatra – when he went to Bengal, Mamata Banerjee was sidelined and now when he is about to enter Bihar, the political scenario is changing… pic.twitter.com/hAiPrh5OdU
– ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2024
When asked about recent political developments in Bihar and speculations around Nitish Kumar, BJP MLA Motilal Prasad told ANI, “I have no such details with me. We have a meeting at 9 am and I have come for that…Anything is possible in politics, but no such decision has come before us. So I won’t be able to say much about it…”
#WATCH | Patna | When asked about recent political developments in Bihar and speculations around Nitish Kumar, BJP MLA Motilal Prasad says, “I have no such details with me. We have a meeting at 9 am and I have come for that…Anything is possible in politics, but no such decision… pic.twitter.com/VV756qCiPG
– ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2024
Amid the ongoing political turmoil in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is likely to meet the Governor today, say sources.
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has reportedly sought time to meet the Governor this morning and is likely to break away from the Mahagathbandhan government, per sources.
Although the Bihar CM is mum over his next move, speculations of a rift between Mahagathbandhan and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar joining the NDA, have been soaring high.
Notably, the Bhartiya Janata Party will also hold a meeting with its MLAs and MPs in Patna at 9 am today to chalk out the strategy over the latest political situation in the state.
The ruling JD(U)-RJD-Congress coalition in Bihar is on the brink of collapse, as there is likelihood that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar could cross over to the NDA again, the alliance he parted his ways in 2022 to form the ‘mahagathbandhan’. (ANI)
BJP Chief Samrat Choudhary on Sunday dismissed the speculations about Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar potentially rejoining the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which could lead to the collapse of the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ government in Bihar, stating that the party high-command has ‘no clue’ about it.
“Neither has Nitish Kumarji resigned nor has anybody withdrawn support. Only if something happens, then we will have any information. At present, the BJP wants to assess the situation of Bihar and then, we will make a decision accordingly,” Mr Chaudhary said while speaking to reporters in Bihar’s Patna.
“We will get informed only if Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives information regarding the same,” he added.
Bihar Political Crisis Live: Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Party Asks For Two Ministerial Posts
“…The way our party talks about the poor and works among them…we feel that our party should have at least two posts for our ministers. In such a case, we will be able to provide better services to the public. The aspirations of the workers should be fulfilled. Our leaders are standing with the Prime Minister,” Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Shyam Sunder Sharan told ANI.