'Power is Power': Nitish Kumar school of politics

The 'sultan of swing' Nitish Kumar was sworn in for the ninth time as the Chief Minister of the NDA alliance in Bihar, much to the agony of the INDIA alliance that has now got into a logjam. Nitish’s volte-face was scorned by the opposition as ‘shameful politics’ and 'betrayal of the worst sort'. RJD members said the chief minister to be worse than a chameleon. Whatever vile criticism that falls his way seldom affects the JDU leader since his current flip is a masterstroke nevertheless. One can’t help but admire the shrewd politician that Nitish is.

Nitish Kumar who was settled well as the NDA CM after the emphatic election win in 2020, on morning decided to part ways with BJP when the situation turned conducive for him to aim for the prestigious prime ministerial chair which he had been craving for a long. In pure delusion over sitting in the PM chair. Nitish turned architect of the INDIA alliance and vowed to make India free from the BJP.

However, all hopes were dashed when West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee picked Mapanna Mallikarjun Kharge to be the prime ministerial candidate in one such meeting of the newly formed opposition bloc. Delhi CM Kejriwal followed suit and supported Kharge to lead the alliance. Nitish Kumar known for his cheerful countenance turned sour in one rare moment and made his disappointment palpable. At this time, talks were also doing the rounds that RJD have demanded Tejashwi Yadav to be sworn in as the new CM of Bihar after the Lok Sabha elections after a cordial pact with JDU.

This came as a revelation for Nitish who was pretty much sure that the INDIA alliance won’t match the might of NDA and will fall apart in the elections. Nitish if going with the alliance would have to hand over the CM seat to RJD and will be without office for the first time in decades.

Although the BJP has not made any official announcement that Narendra Modi will be their Prime Minister in the coming parliamentary elections, senior leaders including Amit Shah have indicated it. Nitish by siding up again with BJP will be happy enough to sit on his CM chair unperturbed, at least till 2025. JDU also believe that teaming up with NDA would help them fare well in the coming Lok Sabha elections in the state.

However, Nitish Kumar’s political adroitness and his ability to pirouette towards power will again appear to flummox analysts. Nitish might have given up his PM ambitions this time, but the dream will rekindle at times and it will see new political rigmarole in Bihar. That time won't be that far.