As Bihar’s election results were declared late last night, it became clear that the mandate was against Nitish Kumar’s leadership, and emphatically for the BJP taking a lead role in the state. While the saffron party emerged as the second-largest party in Bihar, behind the RJD by only one seat, Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) was a distant third. The BJP and RJD won 74 and 75 seats respectively, while JD(U) emerged victorious on only 42 seats out of the 115 it contested. It goes without saying that it was the BJP, and more so, Prime Minister Modi’s aggressive campaign in Bihar which was able to salvage the JD(U) this time around.
The NDA has won 125 seats, and BJP is the leader of the alliance now. Nitish Kumar, like a decent politician, should now have the maturity to call it a day in Bihar’s politics and give up his claim to the Chief Ministership so that the BJP can rightfully place its own candidate on the top post. In fact, this would be the only plausible and dignified choice for Nitish Kumar to make. Not only will it ensure that the JD(U) supremo has a graceful exit from active politics, but also help him get rid of the infamous tag of “paltu ram” which has been earned by him over the past many years.
Ideally, no individual should stake claim to the Chief Ministership if his/her party is reduced to a third fiddle in any state. In any case, Nitish Kumar enjoying a full term as Chief Minister is highly unlikely. At the most, what the BJP is now expected to settle for is a two-and-a-half-year term of Chief Ministership for the JD(U) first, followed by it placing its own candidate on the top seat. Of course, Nitish Kumar is not going to like such a deal and will suffer a major loss of face in the years to come. It would be only prudent for the three-time CM of Bihar to give up his claim to the top post right away and save himself the embarrassment and mud-match which is scheduled to take place in the times to come.
While the BJP is also putting up a good show of rallying behind Nitish Kumar, it goes without saying that it will not be satisfied without the Chief Ministership. Being way ahead within the NDA alliance, it is the BJP’s right to have their own Chief Minister, even as Nitish Kumar loses all moral authority to have himself sworn-in once again with a mere 42 seats in the state assembly.