Nitish more likely to retain House, maintain most ministers; RJD could get Finance & Well being
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar addresses throughout a operate on the Gandhi Maidan on the event of 76th Independence Day, in Patna, Monday, Aug. 15, 2022. (PTI Photograph)
The listing of possible ministers from the RJD contains Tej Pratap Yadav, Surendra Yadav, Ramanand Yadav, Bhai Virendra, Lalit Yadav, Anita Devi, Kumar Sarvjeet, Alok Mehta, Mohammed Shamim, Shahnawaz Alam, Sudhakar Singh, and Samir Mahaseth or Sanjay Gupta. Although there’s more likely to be a dominant Yadav presence within the Cupboard from the RJD quota, the celebration can be making an attempt to accommodate non-Yadav Different Backward Class (OBC) leaders and Dalits within the ministerial council.
JD(U) insiders stated Sanjay Jha, the water assets minister within the earlier Cupboard, was overtly named in a celebration assembly as one of many 4 individuals answerable for taking Nitish again to the BJP-led Nationwide Democratic Alliance in 2017. At current “although there’s nonetheless no readability if Jha shall be retained, what can go in his favour is the important thing function he performed in bringing Ganga water to Nalanda and Gaya”, stated a JD(U) supply. Sheela Mandal could also be dropped from the council of ministers as she is believed to be in former celebration chief RCP Singh’s camp.
Defined: The three pillars of Nitish Kumar’s political-social technique of survival and success
As Nitish Kumar switches companions as soon as once more to stay Chief Minister of Bihar, a lot of the chatter has focussed on his obvious ideological flexibility. However behind his exceptional success as a survivor is a mind that has carried out experiments in social repackaging and political messaging that’s presumably unmatched within the historical past of Indian politics.
There are three social teams that Nitish has focussed his political energies on — and so they have over time come to represent a social base that makes him indispensable to each the BJP and RJD of their makes an attempt to type a authorities in Bihar. And Nitish has used this king-making leverage to stay king himself. Put up 1990, the Scheduled Castes (SC) of Bihar had been attracted in the direction of Lalu Prasad, however had been rapidly disillusioned by the Yadav dominance of his authorities. Nitish, who had damaged away to type the Samata Occasion together with George Fernandes in 1994, realised the necessity to widen his base among the many SCs. With Ram Vilas Paswan firmly in charge of the Paswan vote — about 5 per cent of the state’s inhabitants — Nitish sought to focus on the remaining 12-13 per cent, which comprised Dalit communities such because the Ravidas and Musahars, who didn’t have a transparent political patron.
The altering colors of Nitish Kumar
Along with his newest somersault, JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar has once more proved himself to be the consummate politician, managing to maintain himself related and staying the face of each alliance, regardless of the corporate he retains.
At 71, he stays the one product of the JP Motion of 1974-75, in addition to his deputy, Sushil Kumar Modi, who stays firmly in command. An ailing Lalu Prasad has nearly ceded reins to son Tejashwi Yadav.
Paradoxically, having experimented with the BJP as soon as too typically, Nitish has come to imagine his dwelling lies below the bigger socialist umbrella, if JD(U) sources are to be believed. A extra pragmatic cause is the overwhelming presence of Narendra Modi within the BJP, which left little house for Nitish to manoeuvre. The warning got here within the 2020 Meeting elections, the place the JD(U), contesting in an NDA that contained the BJP and the Lok Janshakti Occasion (LJP) seen to have the BJP’s blessings, was decreased to just about half of the BJP’s tally (43 in comparison with 74).
The Bihar Handshake: Nitish, Tejashwi and a shared function — taking up BJP in 2024 There’s one thing about Nitish Kumar and the quantity 7. As Chief Minister, he has been staying at 7, Round Street, whereas utilizing 1, Anne Marg, the official CM residence, as his workplace. Now, with Nitish severing his five-year-old alliance with the BJP and strolling over to the Mahagathbandhan camp, many level out {that a} well-known Delhi tackle — 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, the official residence of the Prime Minister — could possibly be on his thoughts. In any case, as he left the NDA, Nitish despatched out a political dare, couched as prophesy, to the present occupant of seven, Lok Kalyan: “Jo 2014 me aaye the, 2024 me aayenge kya (the one who got here to energy in 2014, would he additionally return in 2014)?” Although there was a lot discuss Nitish’s rising discomfort with an “overbearing” BJP, the stark message to have emerged out of Nitish’s newest U-turn is his rekindled nationwide ambition. Although he hasn’t spoken overtly about his PM hopes and continues to speak about “serving” Bihar, quickly after taking oath as Chief Minister for a file eighth time, Nitish had urged all Opposition events to begin getting ready for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. JD(U) sources trace he could quickly begin touring different states to discover the possibilities of a broader nationwide coalition to tackle the BJP within the 2024 elections.