Nitish Kumar's departure: Its impact on INDIA alliance and 2024 Lok Sabha polls

In a surprising turn of events Nitish Kumar the chief of Janata Dal United sent shockwaves through the political landscape by resigning as the Chief Minister of Bihar Simultaneously he announced his intentions to form a state government in collaboration with the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP and the National Democratic Alliance NDA This sudden departure marked the end of his alliance with Lalu Prasad Yadavs Rashtriya Janta Dal RJD and had broader implications for the oppositions INDIA alliance comprising 28 parties just ahead of the pivotal 2024 Lok Sabha electionsNitish Kumars role in the oppositions INDIA blocNitish Kumar until recently held a crucial position in the oppositions INDIA alliance Having formed the Bihar government in 2022 with the RJD and other Left parties Kumar played a key role in uniting disparate regional entities under the umbrella of the INDIA alliance His influence extended beyond Bihar where he successfully brought leaders from diverse regions onto a single platform The first meeting of the INDIA alliance in Patna in June of the previous year highlighted Kumars ability to foster collaboration among opposition partiesKumars departure The motivesDespite his past aversion to aligning with the BJP Nitish Kumars sudden move to join forces with the NDA raised eyebrows Just a year earlier in 2023 he had emphatically stated Mar jaana qubool hai lekin unke BJP saath jaana humko kabhi qubool nahin hai Id rather die than tie up with them The question then arises what prompted this UturnDuring his resignation announcement Kumar cryptically mentioned that not everything was all right alluding to internal issues within the INDIA alliance This cryptic statement speculated about discord within the alliance and raised concerns about the unity of the opposition front in the runup to the critical 2024 Lok Sabha ElectionsBlaming the Congress Internal fractures in the INDIA allianceJDU spokesperson KC Tyagi pointed fingers at the Congress for the collapse of the INDIA alliance in Bihar According to Tyagi the Congress leaders prioritised strengthening their party over fostering unity within the opposition grouping He alleged that a caucus within the Congress aimed to seize control of the INDIA alliance leadership adding that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharges name was proposed as the chairperson as part of this supposed conspiracyThis internal power struggle as revealed by Tyagi sheds light on the complexities within the INDIA alliance The decisionmaking process seems marred by internal conflicts further jeopardising the alliances coherence The shockwaves resulting from the proposal of Kharge as the chairperson reverberated within the JDU which expected Nitish Kumar to be named as the convenor without any chairperson according to JDU leadersCongresss role in INDIA allianceNitish Kumars rejection of the post of INDIA alliance convenor in the previous months meeting and the subsequent accusations by Tyagi indicate a growing discontent within the alliance Tyagi accused a section of the Congress leadership of repeatedly insulting Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Moreover the objection to Mallikarjun Kharges name being proposed as INDIA alliances prime ministerial face in a Mumbai meeting added fuel to the fireDelay in seatsharing talks and strained ties with RJDKV Tyagi further highlighted the Congresss role in the INDIA alliances troubles by pointing out the delay in seatsharing talks According to him the Congresss reluctance to expedite these discussions left the INDIA alliance without concrete plans to counter the BJP effectively The friction extended beyond the Congress to strained ties between the JDU and the RJD at the local level contributing to the turmoil within the opposition campNitish Kumars power play within the JDUAside from external dynamics Nitish Kumars internal power play within the JDU also played a pivotal role in shaping the current scenario Kumars decision to take over as the JDU president by cutting short Lalan Singhs tenure indicated a determined effort to assert control over the organisation Speculations about Kumars confidant growing too close to the RJD or pursuing an independent agenda fuelled the narrative of internal power struggles within the JDUImpact on the INDIA alliance and Bihars political landscapeNitish Kumars exit from the INDIA alliance reverberates beyond Bihar where the coalition faces a potential reshuffling of alliances Bihar was a model state for the INDIA alliance with almost all nonNDA parties rallying unitedly against the BJP The arithmetic of the alliance encompassing JDU RJD Congress CPIML CPI and CPIM made it a formidable force Nitish Kumars departure disrupts this arithmetic forcing the bloc to rely once again on the RJDs MY combination with sporadic support from the Congress and Left partiesThe socioeconomic caste census plankOne of the significant blows dealt by Nitish Kumars departure is to the socioeconomic caste census plank of the INDIA alliance Kumar as the face of this plank had conducted the caste census in Bihar and released the data His implementation of reservation along with detailed subcategorisation further strengthened his influence in this regard However with Kumar aligning with the NDA the INDIA alliance faces challenges in retaining credibility for this plankViability of the INDIA alliance questionedNitish Kumars pivotal role in initiating the very first meeting of opposition parties that led to the formation of the INDIA alliance in Patna is now in question With his sudden departure questions arise about the viability and the very premise of the INDIA alliance The absence of Kumar especially during a time when other regional players like the Trinamool Congress and Aam Aadmi Party are declaring solo ventures in states such as West Bengal and Punjab adds to the uncertainty surrounding the future of the opposition allianceNational ramificationsThe impact of Nitish Kumars exit extends beyond Bihar affecting the arithmetic and credibility of the INDIA alliance on a national scale Bihar was a stronghold of the INDIA alliance and Kumars departure significantly alters the political landscape Surveys predicted major gains for the INDIA alliance in Bihar with potential shifts in seat distribution The loss of over 20 seats for the NDA as projected by surveys is now in question changing the dynamics of the national political scenarioPM Modis invincibilityNitish Kumars departure is part of a sequence of events that contribute to the growing perception of Prime Minister Modis invincibility Recent wins for the BJP in assembly elections and the consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya have already bolstered this narrative Kumars shift further adds momentum to the NDA setting the stage for the INDIA alliance to devise substantial strategies to counter the BJPs rising influence