Nitish Kumar Resigns as Bihar Chief Minister, Ends Alliance with RJD

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar submitted his resignation to Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, officially breaking away from the grand alliance that included Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). This move comes less than 18 months after the formation of a new government in the state.

Nitish Kumar, who had formed the government with the support of the RJD, submitted his resignation after a meeting with Janata Dal (United) MLAs. Following the resignation, he is expected to stake a claim to form a new government with the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

This marks the fourth time that Nitish Kumar has switched sides in the political landscape. In a media statement outside the Raj Bhavan, he confirmed his resignation from the post of chief minister and expressed his intention to dissolve the government in the state.

Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has accepted Nitish Kumar’s resignation and requested him to continue as the caretaker chief minister until a new government is formed. The BJP, with 17 MPs in Bihar, is likely to play a crucial role in the new political alignment.

The Bihar assembly has a total of 243 seats, with the RJD having the highest number of 79 MLAs, followed by the BJP with 78. The JD(U) has 45 seats, the Congress has 19, the CPI (M-L) has 12, and other smaller parties and independents make up the rest. Nitish Kumar’s move has significant implications for the political landscape in Bihar and is expected to lead to realignment and power shifts in the state.