India News
Normally, the leader of the party that wins the most seats becomes the Chief Minister. Everyone knows this basic rule. But in Bihar, despite the BJP winning more seats, the JDU is set to take the Chief Minister’s chair. And of course, it will be none other than JDU chief Nitish Kumar. Political equations often work differently. Nitish Kumar is set to take oath as Chief Minister on the 20th.
With this, he will be becoming Chief Minister for the 10th time—a rare political record. BJP leaders say that Prime Minister Modi will also attend the swearing-in ceremony. In the Assembly elections, the BJP won 89 seats, while the JDU won 85 seats. Even though the BJP has more seats, there are strong political reasons for giving the CM post to the smaller ally, the JDU.
Nitish played a crucial role in securing the votes of women, Dalits, and extremely backward classes (EBCs) for the NDA in the Lok Sabha elections. Also, in the government at the Centre, after the BJP and TDP, the JDU is the third-largest partner with 12 MPs. Modi became Prime Minister thanks to the support of the TDP and JDU. Because of these political realities, the BJP cannot afford to sideline Nitish.
Alliance leaders like LJP MP Shambhavi Choudhary and HAM leader Jitan Ram Manjhi are also backing Nitish. Although Nitish is becoming Chief Minister again, the real question now is whether he will remain in that position for the full five-year term. In the last two Assembly terms, even when the JDU won fewer seats, the BJP planned to replace him after a year or two with their own CM candidate. Analysts say such a plan could emerge again.
His health condition could also be cited as a possible reason in the future. Nitish carries the image of “Paltu Ram” (for frequently switching alliances), but he is also known as “Sushasan Babu” for his governance record. Another unique record is that in almost all his previous terms, he took oath as Chief Minister not as an MLA, but as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC).
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