Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar submitted his resignation to Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Sunday, marking the end of the grand alliance formed less than 18 months ago with the support of Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD. Nitish Kumar, also the president of Janata Dal (United), is anticipated to form a new government with the backing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Following a meeting with Janata Dal (United) MLAs at his residence, Nitish Kumar met with the governor at the Raj Bhavan to officially resign from the chief ministerial position. The governor has accepted the resignation, instructing Nitish Kumar to continue as the caretaker chief minister until a new government is established. Senior minister Bijendra Yadav of the JD(U) accompanied Nitish Kumar during the visit to the Raj Bhavan.
Bihar Chief Minister #NitishKumar submitted his resignation to governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar. Grand Alliance Government has been dissolved. Talking to the media in Patna after resignation he said everything was not alright with RJD, so he made the decision. pic.twitter.com/1lwLOOYnBf
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) January 28, 2024
This move marks the fourth instance of Nitish Kumar switching political alliances. The BJP, with 17 MPs, holds the largest share in Bihar’s 40-member Lok Sabha, followed by JD(U) with 16. Another NDA ally, LJP, is now divided between the uncle-nephew duo of Pashupati Kumar Paras and Chirag Paswan, holding a total of six seats.