Sir — This refers to the editorial, “Nitish Kumar’s wapsi” (July 28). Nitish Kumar had committed a political blunder by parting ways with the BJP in 2013 after Narendra Modi was made the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 general election, and he joined hands with lalu Prasad to remain in power in Bihar.
He again became the Chief Minister after the victory of the Janata Dal (United)-Rashtriya Janata Dal-Congress mahagathbandhan in 2015 Assembly election, but it was not smooth sailing. After lalu Prasad’s refusal for resignation of his son Tejashwi Yadav from the Cabinet, against whom a case has been registered by the CBI for alleged corruption, the choices before Nitish Kumar were: To keep quiet and let Tejashwi Yadav continue in his Cabinet, sending the message that he had compromised with corruption; or to resign, get rid of the RJD and form a new Government with the support of the BJP.
His decision to dissociate him from the Opposition’s quixotic ‘battle of ideology’ narrative against the Bharatiya Janata Party is an example of his independent thinking and ability to take bold decisions without caring for what his critics say.
Nitish Kumar is a man of conviction. His and party’s homecoming — into the NDA fold — has shattered the 2019 dream of the Congress which stood with lalu Prasad in the Chief Minister’s fight against corruption.