Nitish Kumar back in NDA; takes oath as Bihar CM for record ninth time

Patna: JD(U) president Nitish Kumar on Sunday took oath as Chief Minister of Bihar for a record ninth time after a dramatic volteface, ditching the Mahagathbandhan and the opposition bloc INDIA and forming a new government with the BJP, which he had dumped less than 18 months ago.

Kumar's latest crossover, his fifth in a little over a decade, is also seen as a big setback for the opposition unity ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Kumar was administered the oath of office by Bihar Governor Rajendra Arlekar at Raj Bhavan in the evening in the presence of senior leaders, including BJP national president J P Nadda, hours after he resigned from the post, saying "things were not working well" for him in the Grand Alliance and the opposition bloc.

BJP leaders -- Samrat Choudhary and former Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha- were among those who took oath of office.

The two are named as Deputy Chief Ministers by Kumar. After the swearingin ceremony, Kumar told reporters: "I have come back where I was earlier. Now there is no question of going back. Today eight people have been sworn in, including Choudhary and Sinha, both of whom shall be my deputies".

Political strategist turned politician Prashant Kishor took a swipe at Kumar, saying "switching sides has become part of his politics" and added that the BJP might end up paying "a huge price" for supporting the JD(U) chief who had ditched it in August 2020. 

Kumar had joined the Mahagathbandhan in August 2022, when he had snapped ties with the BJP accusing it of trying to "split" his JD(U).

He formed a new government with a multi-party coalition that included RJD and Congress. Kumar had first taken oath as the state's Chief Minister in 2000.

However, his government fell within a week. He again became CM in 2005 and also returned to power five years later.

After his breakup with BJP in 2013, Kumar still survived in power as the JD(U), which was then just a few members short of the majority mark, got outside support from parties like Congress and CPI, besides a disgruntled faction of the RJD.

A year later, though, he stepped down owning moral responsibility for the JD(U)'s drubbing in Lok Sabha elections.

In less than a year, he was back as Chief Minister, elbowing out his rebellious protege Jitan Ram Manjhi, this time armed with ample support from the RJD and the Congress.

The Grand Alliance that came into being with JD(U), Congress and RJD coming together, won the 2015 assembly polls handsomely.

Kumar returned to the NDA in 2017, hoping to get some traction after taking a stand against corruption taint on Tejashwi Yadav.

In the current 243-member Bihar Assembly, JD(U) has 44 MLAs and the BJP 78. Kumar also has the support of one Independent member

Garbage goes into dustbin, says Lalu's daughter Rohini

I n an apparent dig at JD(U) president Nitish Kumar who resigned as the Chief Minister of Bihar, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad's daughter Rohini Acharya on Sunday said the "garbage has gone into the dustbin".

"Garbage goes back into the dustbin. Happy stinking garbage to the group", Acharya posted on 'X'. (PTI)