Speculation has been rising that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar may be preparing to leave the BJP-led NDA, following a series of political developments over the past week.
As per multiple news reports, Amit Shah’s comments about Nitish’s leadership during a TV program on December 16 were followed by a controversial statement about Dr. Ambedkar in Parliament, which led Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal to accuse Shah of insulting Ambedkar and writing a letter to Nitish.
After this, Nitish Kumar unexpectedly fell ill.
The political climate grew tenser when BJP state president Dilip Jaiswal initially stated that the party would contest elections under Nitish’s leadership, only to retract his comment, stating that the decision was in the hands of the central leadership.
A sudden meeting of the BJP core committee in Delhi and Amit Shah’s planned visit to Bihar on January 8 further intensified the political developments within the week.
If Nitish Kumar decides to leave the NDA, it would significantly impact the alliance’s strength in the Lok Sabha. Currently, the NDA holds 292 seats, including 12 from Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) (JDU).
If JDU exits, the NDA would lose these 12 seats, reducing its total to 280 seats. While this would still ensure a majority in the 545-member Lok Sabha, it could mark a significant shift in Bihar’s political landscape and the NDA’s internal dynamics.