New Delhi:
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who filed his nomination for the Rajya Sabha today, may not be easy to replace. So far as the BJP is concerned, it may not even go as smoothly as replacing the Chief Ministers in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh or Chhattisgarh went, sources hinted. This big reason, sources said, was that the BJP did not run a coalition government in these states.
In Bihar, it is imperative to keep Nitish Kumar and his Janata Dal United happy, sources said. And this, they indicated, is as much about numbers in the assembly as the support base of the Chief Minister.
Read: “BJP Made Nitish Kumar Desi Maduro”: Opposition Reacts To Rajya Sabha Move
Kumar’s JDU, which had to relinquish the “Big brother” role in the alliance in the 2020 assembly election after a poor performance, had doubled back five years on. In the assembly election last year, the JD(U) had won 85 seats, the BJP 89. The indication now is that the BJP especially has to keep the JDU preferences in mind while making their choice.
The other big factor is Nitish Kumar, who commands a huge chunk of the most backward class vote as well as the votes of women, whose loyalty he won through his cycle scheme for schoolgirls and later, the ban on liquor.
Read: Nitish Kumar Signs Rajya Sabha Papers, Explains Big Shift
The BJP is keen on retaining that support base so it is essential that the candidate they pick will have to get the approval of these sections.
There are also the JDU grassroots-level workers to consider, who are not happy at this turn of events.
JDU sources said the grassroots workers have not been able yet to digest the fact that Nitish Kumar – who has been around since 2005 — will resign as Chief Minister and move on to Rajya Sabha. They feel short-changed at this turn of events.
The perception is that the NDA sought votes in Nitish Kumar’s name, and months later, are moving him to the upper house of parliament and grabbing the top post for themselves.
Read: Why Nitish Kumar May Move To Rajya Sabha, And Who Can Replace Him
The BJP, aware of the situation, is not in a hurry. Instead of moving forward at full speed, its strategy is to slow things down, sources said.
Reports from Patna indicate that Nitish Kumar will not be removed immediately — the BJP will take a month or two to resolve the matter.
There is speculation that the BJP will even wait until the legislative council election in Bihar is held. Nitish Kumar’s son, Nishant Kumar, will be a candidate in that election. He can become the Deputy Chief Minister only after a victory – an event Nitish Kumar wants to witness before he moves on to Rajya Sabha.
