Bihar CM Nitish Kumar ends alliance with BJP, to meet Governor today

Nitish Kumar is likely to meet the Governor with all 161 legislators from ‘Grand Alliance’ comprising RJD and Congress

Amid a political storm brewing in Bihar, in a meeting convened by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on August 9 morning to discuss the situation in his party, he formally announced that the alliance between JD(U) and BJP has broken off. Mr. Kumar is also set to meet Governor Phagu Chauhan at 4 p.m. today.

Mr. Kumar cited several conspiratorial steps by BJP to dethrone his government from power as the reason for taking the extreme step.

Mr. Kumar is likely to meet the Governor with all 161 legislators from grand alliance (Mahagathbandhan).

Mr. Kumar had convened the meeting following the exit of former national president RCP Singh. Mr. Singh resigned after the JD(U) sent a notice seeking explanation on the charges of corruption levelled against him.

According to sources, Mr. Kumar is said to have spoken to Congress president Sonia Gandhi on August 8 evening, but there was no official word on this from the Congress.

The reason for Mr. Singh’s exit from the Cabinet and later from the JD(U) is seen as his growing proximity to the BJP, at the cost of the JD(U), because of which he was denied a renomination to the Rajya Sabha which made his continuation in the Union Council of Ministers untenable.

This incident and a few others before it have led to a growing distrust between the BJP and the JD(U).