Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday is set to make his second political volte-face in less than three years, with a highly-placed source close to the JD(U) president saying the CM is likely to tender his resignation by Sunday morning and same day by evening likely to take Oath as CM again in the BJP combined NDA Government.
Sources in Bihar Government said offices like the secretariat have been asked to remain open on Sunday "in view of hectic activity expected during the day" that may see the installation of a new government with the BJP's support. Before submitting his resignation, Nitish will hold a customary meeting of the legislature party, the source added.
While former Union Minister and senior BJP leader Radha Mohan Singh met Bihar Governor Rajendra Arlekar at Patna, Home Minister Amit Shah dropped all his out of Delhi schedule due to the political instability in Bihar.
A meeting of State BJP executive comprising party’s MPs and MLAs attended by Union Ministers, sitting MPs were held at Patna and sources said BJP MLAs and MPs will meet again at 10 am at the party office in Patna to further chalk out the strategy. Nitish on Saturday attended few public programmes scheduled but his deputy CM from alliance partner RJD, Tejashwi Yadav, remained conspicuous by his absence. The attendees, however, included senior BJP leader and Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey.
While the JD(U) which used to be on a defensive note till a day earlier saying that INDIA alliance is intact with JD(U) its major partner, on Saturday categorically held Congress responsible for the turn of events as TMC and AAP also has also vent their anger and announced to go it alone in the Lok Sabha polls this year.
JDU political adviser and spokesperson K C Tyagi told reporters in Delhi that the grand alliance government in Bihar is on the verge of collapse, and accused a section of the Congress leadership of repeatedly "insulting" Nitish Kumar. While Congress on its part, stated that their party chief Mallikarjun Kharge made several attempts to speak to Nitish Kumar Bihar but all times it was conveyed the CM was busy.
Both the existing Mahagathbandhan partners- RJD and Congress held extensive deliberations over the course of action to be followed in the event of Nitish Kumar calling off the alliance and returning to the BJP-led NDA.
Leaders of the RJD also gathered at the residence of national vice-president and former chief minister Rabri Devi, who shares her government bungalow with Tejashwi Yadav, her son, and husband Lalu Prasad, who is the party president.
RJD, with 79 MLAs, is the single largest party in the assembly and helms the 'Mahagathbandhan' which includes the Congress and three Left parties. The 'Mahagathbandhan' falls eight members short of the majority in the assembly in the event of Nitish Kumar's JD(U) pulling out.
BJP leaders, who held a meeting in Patna, stopped short of making any formal announcement of support to the JD(U) chief in the event of his pulling out of the Mahagathbandhan.
Requesting anonymity, BJP sources said instructions have been received from the top leadership to put on hold "any formal announcement" till Nitish Kumar, who had dumped the NDA less than three years ago, put in his papers. All party leaders were made to deposit their mobile phones outside the gates of 10, Circular Road, the house situated at a stone's throw from the chief minister's residence.
While some RJD leaders are said to be in favour of staking claim to form the new government, hoping to cobble up the support of eight MLAs the ‘Mahagathbandhan' requires to go past the majority mark, others, including Tejashwi Yadav, appear to be not impressed with the idea since the JD(U) and the BJP together have more than 122 members in the 243-strong assembly.
Congress' Bihar in-charge Mohan Prakash said this time the people of the state may not consider this an appropriate step and will give their verdict in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.