Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushil Modi has commended Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his vocal criticism of dynasty politics, sparking speculations of a potential alliance between the two political figures ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Modi, who previously served as Kumar’s deputy in Bihar, expressed the state BJP unit’s willingness to support a decision by the central leadership to align with the Janata Dal (U) chief. This comes as top Bihar BJP leaders, including Modi, have been summoned to Delhi by the party’s high command.
“Nitish Kumar spoke openly on dynasty politics. The Bihar BJP will accept the decision of the central leadership,” stated Sushil Modi.
The political dynamics in Bihar underwent a significant shift in 2022 when Nitish Kumar severed ties with the BJP to form a government with the Mahagathbandhan allies, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress. In a recent development, Kumar acknowledged Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Centre’s decision to confer Bharat Ratna on his political mentor, Karpoori Thakur.
The 2019 Lok Sabha elections saw the BJP and its allies, Janata Dal (U) and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), securing 39 out of 40 parliamentary seats in Bihar. The alliance continued its dominance by winning the majority in the 2020 state assembly polls.
Fueling speculation of a potential return to the BJP, Nitish Kumar criticized the promotion of family members in politics during a recent address. “Karpoori Thakur was the biggest socialist leader of Bihar but did not promote any of his family members. Some people are promoting only family members and making them leaders,” Kumar remarked, taking an apparent dig at Lalu Prasad Yadav.
Reacting to Kumar’s comments, Lalu Yadav’s daughter, Rohini Acharya, responded on social media before deleting the post within an hour. Meanwhile, Lalu Yadav called a meeting of RJD leaders amid the unfolding political developments.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to meet with Bihar BJP leaders, including Samrat Chaudhary and Sushil Modi, in New Delhi. However, Union Minister Giriraj Singh asserted that the doors of the BJP are closed for Nitish Kumar, accusing him of employing pressure tactics against Lalu Yadav.
As the political landscape in Bihar undergoes turbulence, the possibility of a BJP-JD(U) alliance gains attention, setting the stage for a compelling narrative leading up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
