Nitish Kumar switches sides yet again, takes oath as Bihar CM
The Hindu
Nitish Kumar takes oath as Bihar CM for ninth time; Two BJP Deputy CMs and six NDA Ministers also sworn in
Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar took oath as Bihar Chief Minister for a record ninth time on Sunday, returning to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance just 18 months after he left it, in his fifth switch in political loyalties since 2015. Six Ministers and two Deputy Chief Ministers, both from the BJP, were also sworn in with him.
Mr. Kumar said his latest switch was “in the interest of Bihar”. The BJP said that its renewed “alliance with the JD(U) happened for the development of Bihar”. The Rashtriya Janata Dal, which Mr. Kumar has broken up with again, said, “The game is not over yet”, predicting the JD(U)‘s demise as a party.
Bihar political developments | Updates
Since November 2005, Mr. Kumar has been making repeated political turnarounds to remain the CM of Bihar, apart from a brief hiatus after his party’s poor performance in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.
Congratulating Mr. Kumar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X: “The NDA government formed in Bihar will leave no stone unturned for the development of the state and to fulfil the aspirations of its people. I congratulate Nitish Kumar ji as chief minister and Samrat Choudhary ji and Vijay Kumar Sinha ji on taking oath as Deputy chief ministers.” He added: “I’m confident that this team will serve my family members of the state with full dedication.”
Mr. Choudhary has been the BJP’s State president since last year, while Mr. Sinha was the Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly; both the new Deputy Chief Ministers have been sharp critics of Mr. Kumar while he was leading the magathbandhan government in alliance with the RJD and Congress, among others. The new Cabinet comprises three members each from the BJP and JD(U) — including eight-time BJP MLA from Gaya Prem Kumar, and senior JD(U) leaders Vijay Kumar Chaudhury, Bijendra Yadav and Shrawan Kumar — one Independent MLA Sumit Kumar Singh, and Santosh Kumar Suman of the Hindustani Awami Morcha (Secular).
After they were all sworn in, Mr. Kumar told journalists that he would expand his Cabinet “soon”. He also explained the rationale behind his latest switch in loyalties. “I took this decision [to join hands with the BJP again] in the interest of Bihar. I came where I was earlier, and had gone somewhere in-between, but now got freedom from where I was. Nothing was being done there,” he said.
The Election Commission of India will hold a press conference on June 3, a day before the counting of votes polled in the Lok Sabha polls. Till the 2019 parliamentary polls, deputy election commissioners used to hold media briefings after each phase of polls, but the practice has been done away with.