Finish of Lalu-Nitish period in Bihar: BJP all set to beat last frontier of Hindi heartland | India Information

NEW DELHI: The BJP is on the edge of a historic first in Bihar. After a protracted wait – spanning first the Lalu period after which the Nitish period in Bihar – the saffron occasion is all set to get its first chief minister within the state. This follows JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar’s “voluntary resolution” to return to nationwide politics, marking the largest political transition within the state in latest occasions. Chief minister Nitish Kumar, who led the NDA alliance to a thumping victory within the meeting elections simply 4 months in the past, at this time filed his nomination papers for Rajya Sabha paving the best way for a change of guard within the state.Asserting his resolution, Nitish Kumar mentioned in a put up on X: “For greater than twenty years, you could have constantly positioned your belief and help in me, and it’s on the power of that belief that we’ve got served Bihar and all of you with full dedication. It was the facility of your belief and help that has enabled Bihar at this time to current a brand new dimension of improvement and dignity. In line with this aspiration, I search to grow to be a member of the Rajya Sabha within the elections being held this time.“

Nitish Kumar’s transfer marks the top of an period in Bihar politics. However does it come as a shock? The reply is “no”. The transition was broadly anticipated particularly after the BJP edged previous the JD(U) as the most important occasion within the ruling coalition for the second time in a row. Within the 2025 meeting elections, the BJP emerged as the only largest occasion profitable 89 seats with a vote share of 20.45% whereas the JD(U)’s rating was 85 with 19.61% votes. Nevertheless, the BJP didn’t stake declare to the highest put up and Nitish Kumar took oath as chief minister for the report tenth time. However the dominance of BJP in decision-making turned evident because the saffron occasion obtained a lion’s share within the new council of ministers and for the primary time Nitish Kumar needed to let go of the all-important house portfolio. The swearing-in ceremony of Nitish Kumar was extra of a BJP present of power. It was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union house minister Amit Shah and plenty of their cupboard colleagues, apart from CMs of a number of states dominated by the BJP.The truth is, the BJP might have claimed the highest put up in Bihar six years again in 2020. The BJP had then gained 74 seats with a vote share of 19.46%. This was virtually double of what Nitish Kumar’s occasion had gained: 43 meeting seats with a vote share of 15.39%. Nevertheless, the BJP determined to honour its pre-poll dedication of creating Nitish Kumar the chief minister if the alliance gained the elections. The BJP maybe didn’t have an choice then as Lalu Prasad’s RJD had gained 75 seats and would have readily supported Nitish Kumar to maintain the BJP out. So, Nitish Kumar continued as chief minister. Nevertheless, the facility dynamics throughout the Bihar NDA had modified because the BJP for the primary time turned the senior ally within the coalition. It has been a protracted anticipate the BJP to have its first chief minister in Bihar. It’s the solely Hindi heartland state the place the occasion has not held the highest workplace up to now. The BJP and the JD(U) got here collectively within the state for the primary time in 2005. From 2005 to 2015, the JD(U), guided by Nitish Kumar’s towering presence, was the dominant associate within the coalition. Even quantity sensible, the JD(U) was all the time forward of the BJP – forcing the saffron occasion to play second fiddle within the state coalition. Such was the dominance of Nitish Kumar in state politics, that the BJP was pressured to welcome him again with open arms twice after the JD(U) left the NDA and joined palms with the rival Mahagathbandhan. It’s on this context that the flip of occasions in Bihar is critical for the BJP. Its rivals have been fast to attract parallels from Maharashtra to assault the saffron occasion for coercing Nitish Kumar into submission. RJD chief Tejashwi Yadav, chief of the opposition within the state meeting, alleged that the BJP had all the time been against Dalits and OBCs, and with Kumar leaving the CM’s put up the occasion would try to implement its agenda within the socialist stronghold.“The BJP has achieved a Maharashtra in Bihar. Now we have been saying from the very starting that the BJP is not going to let Nitish Kumar stay the chief minister after the elections. That is precisely what has occurred. This improvement is towards the mandate of the individuals and quantities to a betrayal of it,” he mentioned.Congress common secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh mentioned, “What the Indian Nationwide Congress had been saying usually throughout the Bihar election marketing campaign has now come to cross.”“A management coup and regime change orchestrated by G2 has taken place. It’s, in some ways, an enormous betrayal of the mandate of the individuals,” Ramesh mentioned on X.For the BJP, the subsequent large problem can be to maintain the caste concerns in thoughts in deciding the subsequent chief minister of the state. The names of some large contenders – Samrat Choudhary who’s the deputy chief minister, Nityanand Rai, who’s a Union minister are already doing the rounds. However these large names might be preserving their fingers crossed given the BJP monitor report. It has not often chosen distinguished faces to steer the federal government and has as an alternative all the time stunned by choosing up unknown leaders for the put up of chief minister.