Once again JDU-BJP govt in Bihar? Nitish Kumar as CM, 2 Deputy CMs from BJP? Ball now in Modi-Shah’s court

News Network

January 26, 2024

Even as BJP has intensified its effort to dismantle opposition block I.N.D.A. and break Bihar’s Mahagathbandhan by allying again with the Janata Dal (United) once again, Nitish Kumar is most likely to retain the Chief Minister’s post in the potential National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in the state with two Deputy CMs from the BJP as per the post-2020 Assembly polls formula.

The BJP is likely to give representation to a leader from an Extremely Backward Class (EBC), most likely appointing former Deputy CM Renu Devi who is from the Nonia community.

In 2020, Renu Devi became Bihar’s first woman Deputy CM and served in the post till August 2022, when Nitish switched over to the Mahagathbandhan to bring an end to the NDA government.

According to party insiders, there is no unanimity yet over the choice of the second Deputy CM. Among the leaders being considered are former Deputy CM and Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Modi, current Leader of Opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha, and current MoS for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai.

According to sources, Nitish Kumar is most likely to tender his resignation and stake a fresh claim to form the government on Sunday, according to sources, with the BJP and the JD(U) likely to hold party meetings and later convene a meeting of the alliance to choose Nitish as its leader. Sushil Kumar Modi and Sinha have said they will go with whatever decision the BJP’s central leadership takes in the interest of the party.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) along with the Congress and the three Left parties have 114 MLAs, just eight short of a simple majority in the House of 243 members. The JD(U) with 45 MLAs and the BJP with 78 legislators and the support of one Independent legislator has 124 MLAs, more than the simple majority.

Sources said the RJD might reach out to some JD(U) MLAs to stop Nitish from forming the government with the BJP. RJD national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar Jha, however, strongly dismissed it saying, “We do not engage in such things. But we also want Nitish Kumar to clarify things.”

Meanwhile, Nitish attended the customary high tea function organised by Bihar Governor R V Arlekar at the Raj Bhavan. Deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav did not attend the function. In a message to the Opposition INDIA alliance, JD(U) state president Umesh Kushwaha told reporters, “Though we are still with the INDIA bloc, it should introspect why things are going wrong.”

Ball in Modi-Shah’s court

However, the Bihar state unit of the BJP has reportedly voiced reservations about the possibility of Nitish Kumar’s return to the NDA. Senior state leaders, including state BJP chief Samrat Choudhary and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, flew to Delhi Thursday evening to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

“It is obvious that the JD(U) has initiated talks with the BJP’s top brass on rejoining the NDA, a move most state leaders countered at the meeting,” a BJP leader said.

The state unit, according to the leader, told Shah that there were several factors working in BJP’s favour at the moment: the appeal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the euphoria over the Ram mandir, and central government schemes.

“Amit Shah gave them a patient hearing but did not say anything. Of course, all state BJP leaders will fall in line if the central leadership takes the call,” the leader added.

There is, however, a minority view within the state BJP leadership, which favours Kumar’s entry. They believe that the BJP can now win 28 to 30 Lok Sabha seats in the state with a total of 40 seats. But the influence of Kumar may bump up that number to 35 because of the complete consolidation of the economically backward classes (EBCs), another BJP leader present at the meeting said. “It will also deliver a death blow to the INDIA bloc as the man, who initiated its formation, will walk out and into the BJP,” he added.

Nitish Kumar, it is learnt, has been in favour of simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Bihar. But his idea, according to a source, was rejected by coalition partner Lalu Prasad Yadav. BJP sources indicated the party was not in favour of dissolving the assembly, and if Kumar was inducted, he would remain CM sans the home and personnel departments till 2024. The nitty-gritty of the were still being worked out, they maintained.

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Karnataka Assembly bypolls: Ruling Congress wins all 3 seats; setback to BJP-JD(S) alliance

News Network

November 23,2024

Bengaluru: In a boost to the ruling Congress in Karnataka, the party on Saturday swept the by-polls to three Assembly segments, causing a major setback to the BJP-JD(S) alliance in the state.

The Congress has retained Sandur, the seat considered to be its strong hold, and has also bagged Shiggaon and Channapatna segments, which were earlier held by BJP and JD(S) respectively.

The November 13 by-polls to Sandur, Shiggaon and Channapatna Assembly segments had witnessed a fierce fight between the ruling Congress and a combative BJP-JD(S) alliance.

The by-polls to Sandur, Shiggaon and Channapatna were necessitated as the seats fell vacant following the election of their respective representatives -- E Tukaram of Congress, former CM Basavaraj Bommai of BJP, and Union Minister Kumaraswamy of JD(S) to Lok Sabha in May elections.

The by-polls witnessed a straight fight between the ruling Congress and BJP in Sandur and Shiggaon segments, while in Channapatna, JD(S) which is part of the NDA alliance took on the grand old party.

Congress' C P Yogeeshwara won the Channapatna segment, defeating JD(S) candidate and Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy, by a margin of 25,413 votes.

Former CM Basavaraj Bommai's son Bharath Bommai of BJP faced defeat against Congress' Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan in Shiggaon Assembly segment by a margin of 13,448 votes.

In Sandur, Congress candidate E Annapoorna, the wife of Bellary MP E Tukaram, won the seat vacated by her husband, by a margin of 9,649 votes.

Congress' win in the by-poll is seen as an endorsement of both Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar's leadership, and the government's programmes, especially the five guarantee schemes.

Nikhil Kumaraswamy and Bharath Bommai, the third generation of Gowda and Bommai family respectively, who contested this bypolls, have lost. Their fathers and grandfathers had served as Karnataka's Chief Ministers in the past.

While for Bharath Bommai this was his electoral debut, for Nikhil it was his third electoral loss.

Among the three segments, Channapatna was considered to be a high profile battle, where the contest was between C P Yogeeshwara and actor-turned-politician Nikhil Kumaraswamy.

A five-time MLA from the segment and a former Minister, Yogeeshwara had joined the Congress after quitting BJP ahead of nomination.

There were plans to field Yogeeshwara on a JD(S) ticket, but he was not interested in it, and instead wanted Kumaraswamy to support him as BJP candidate. This was not acceptable to Kumaraswamy and his party, following which Yogeeshwara jumped ship.

However, Kumaraswamy had subsequently said he had agreed to Yogeeshwara contesting from BJP, and despite that he jumped ship to Congress, under the influence of Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and his brother and former MP D K Suresh.

Nikhil had faced defeat in 2019 Lok Sabha and 2023 Assembly polls. It is seen as a setback for Kumaraswamy too, as he could not ensure son's win from the Channapatna, the seat he had twice represented in the past.

Congress' win is crucial for Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress chief and his brother Suresh to strengthen their position in their home district of Ramanagara, a Vokkaliga heartland.

In Shiggaon, BJP's Bharath Bommai, son of Basavaraj Bommai lost against Congress' Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan, who had faced defeat against the former Chief Minister in the 2023 Assembly polls.

Initially, former MLA Syed Azeempeer Khadri, a Congress' ticket aspirant, had raised a banner of revolt in Shiggaon, by filing his nomination as an independent, but later withdrew after intervention by party leadership.

In Sandur, Bellary MP Tukaram's wife E Annapurna of Congress won from the seat vacated by her husband, against BJP ST Morcha president Bangaru Hanumanthu, who is considered close to party leader and former mining barron G Janardhan Reddy.

Sandur is a Congress' bastion, and Tukaram had represented it four times.

Congress winning the by-polls is seen as "crucial" for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to assert himself , amid demands for his resignation following charges against him in the MUDA site allotment case.

There were also behind-the-scenes political activities within the ruling Congress earlier this year, with a few ministers in his Cabinet holding closed door meetings, fueling speculation about leadership change. But such activities came to a halt following instructions from the party high command.

It is equally important for Shivakumar, who has not shied away from openly expressing his Chief Ministerial ambitions, amid speculations over "rotational Chief Minister formula," according to which he will become CM after two-and-half years (in this govt's five years tenure), but they have not been officially confirmed by the party.

The defeat in this by-poll is seen as a setback for state BJP President Vijayendra, who has been facing intense criticism and opposition from a section within the party, who have raised a banner of revolt against his leadership accusing him and his father, veteran leader B S Yediyurappa of "adjustment politics".

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