‘Abhi khel baki hai’: All eyes on Nitish Kumar, RJD amid fast-changing Bihar equations

As a political storm brews in Bihar over speculation that Nitish Kumar may be joining hands with the BJP, parties went into a huddle on Saturday to take stock of the situation. At a meeting of the RJD, the party empowered Lalu Yadav to take a call on whatever happens in state politics.

According to ANI, Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav said Nitish Kumar has always been respected by the RJD. “Many things are not under his (Nitish Kumar’s) control,” Tejashwi said. That the game is not yet over in Bihar was the consensus in the meeting, according to reports. RJD MLAs have been asked to remain in Patna and not to switch off their phones.

3. Tejashwi in party’s meet on Saturday indicated that many unexpected developments could take place. “The Chief Minister used to sit with me on the stage and ask, “What was there in Bihar before 2005?” I never reacted… Now, more people are with us. Whatever remained undone in two decades, we managed to get it done within a short time- be it jobs, caste census, increasing reservation, etc. ‘Bihar mein abhi khel hona baki hain’ (The game is yet to begin in Bihar),” Tejashwi said, ANI reported.

4. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge reacted to the speculations and said, “Are they (JD(U)) going out? I have not got any information about it so far. I have written a letter to them (JD(U) leadership) and have tried to talk to them. I don’t know clearly what is in their minds.”

5. Bihar BJP core committee meeting also took place on Saturday. Union minister Giriraj Singh said, “Nitish Kumar is still the CM and Tejashwi Yadav is the deputy CM.”

6. Giriraj Singh said the BJP is keeping an eye on the political activities in Bihar. “Neither Lalu Yadav has just said that we have left, nor Nitish Kumar has said that he will leave. What can the Bharatiya Janata Party say in this?” Giriraj Singh said.

7. BJP president JP Nadda met Union home minister Amit Shah where Lok Janshankti Party (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Pawan was also present. After the meeting, Chirag said, “First it should be cleared whether Nitish Kumar is coming to NDA and if he is coming, then the time of it.”

8. Where is Nitish Kumar amid all this political upheaval? Saturday was business as usual for Nitish Kumar as he laid the foundation of the second phase of development works in Buxar’s Brahmpur.

9. JD(U) leader KC Tyagi said Congress repeatedly insulted Nitish Kumar. Nitish Kumar never hankered after any position in the alliance but a section of the Congress leadership insulted him, the JD(U) leader said. Nitish Kumar was named the convener of the INDIA bloc but he rejected it.

10. The RJD, with 79 MLAs, is the single largest party in the Bihar Assembly and helms the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ of the Congress and three Left parties apart from the JD(U). If the JD(U) pulls out of the Mahagathbandhan, it will fall eight members short of the majority.