- Sunday, April 13, 2025
The development comes just days after two major members of the bloc refused to join the Indian National Congress’s hands in their respective states.
By: Shubham Ghosh
IT seems nothing is going right for India’s opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). Days after two important parties of the bloc — Trinamool Congress and Aam Aadmi Party refused to make pre-poll alliance with the Indian National Congress, the country’s major opposition party, in their respective states West Bengal and Punjab, another key leader is expected to exit the platform to return to prime minister Narendra Modi’s National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of the eastern state of Bihar, has stolen the headlines again with yet another intention of making a U-turn. It was only in August 2022 that he dumped Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and joined hands with parties such as the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress, annoying the saffron party. He also took a key initiative to form an opposition unity forum against Modi in the form of INDIA.
Several reports now say that the veteran leader is now set to return to the BJP again to form a new government in his state. This will be a major blow to the INDIA alliance with just a few months ahead of the national elections and make the BJP’s hands strong in another state in the country’s Hindi heartland where it made its presence powerful in last year’s state elections.
Read: Massive blow to India’s anti-Modi unity as two leaders rule out alliance with opposition Congress
There are several factors that may have made Nitish re-assess his political strategy.
First, the internal affairs of the INDIA bloc are far from smooth. Ego clashes between leaders from different parties and disagreements over sharing of seats do not present a bright picture as far as its political future is concerned. As a major face of the alliance, Kumar also understands the same and is perhaps disenchanted with the state of affairs.
Read: Conferring Bharat Ratna on social justice icon: Modi’s pre-poll masterstroke
Secondly, not many are happy within his own Janata Dal (United) about an alliance with parties such as the RJD, Congress and Left. The chief minister feels uneasiness about the growing mood of dissatisfaction and feared a split in the party would be unavoidable if he persisted with the stand to join hands with the anti-Modi parties. The JD(U) did well as a member of the NDA in the 2019 general elections and with Modi wave showing little signs of receding across the country, many leaders in the party feel it is always wise to do the same in the upcoming national polls even though internal surveys in the party have not shown much encouraging results.
Thirdly, the inauguration of Ram temple brings the BJP even closer to the Hindu voters. Against this background, it is always beneficial for Kumar to stay with Modi and his party to get the blessings in his own state, particularly when the JD(U) is not at an advantage politically. Add with it Modi’s appeal and his government’s welfare schemes, it will not be wise for a regional party in the Hindi heartland to challenge the BJP and that too for an opposition alliance which is yet to get a proper start.
Finally, the decision by Modi to confer Bharat Ratna on Karpoori Thakur, an iconic social justice leader of Bihar. Both Kumar and Lalu Prasad, the top leader of the RJD, were the disciples of the late leader and would be equally interested to show who carries forward the legacy.
This creates an uneasiness between the JD(U) and RJD.
Also, with the BJP honouring Thakur just after inaugurating the Ram temple, there is a clear message that the party stands for every section of the Hindu community and eyes uniform development. Kumar, who initiated a caste census to challenge the BJP as a party that allegedly ignores inequality and injustice within the Hindus, now clearly stands demolished. Rather, by staying against a party that honoured his late political guru the Bharat Ratna, he risks his political capital as a man who is a messiah for the backward sections of the Hindu society.
For Kumar, a return to the BJP seemed more than desirable.
