no-more-break-ups-with-bjp-nitish-assures-shah

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday reassured Union Home Minister Amit Shah that he would “never again” sever ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), admitting that his past departures had been “mistakes.”

 

With the state gearing up for assembly elections in a few months, Kumar’s declaration came at a function in Patna, where he and Shah jointly unveiled multiple projects of the Centre and the Bihar government.

 

Shah, known as the BJP’s principal strategist, addressed party workers on Saturday night, reportedly asserting that “our victory in Bihar will resonate far and wide.”

 

His visit, spanning two days, is expected to conclude with a strategic session at Kumar’s residence, with representatives of other National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners also likely to attend.

 

At the event, Shah displayed a noticeably warm disposition towards Kumar, who, in turn, expressed satisfaction over the turnout.

 

“This sprawling auditorium has been filled beyond capacity,” the Janata Dal (United) chief remarked.

 

The crowd, largely composed of BJP supporters, responded with chants of “Jai Shri Ram,” a slogan strongly associated with the saffron party’s Hindutva ideology. Kumar, who has often emphasised his secular stance, appeared unfazed by the display.

 

“What did the ones in power before (RJD-Congress combine) do? They used to get votes of Muslims but could never put a stop to clashes between communities,” he asserted.

 

He further criticised the previous regime, saying, “There was no healthcare in Bihar worth the name. No good educational facilities. We came to power in November 2005, and things started to look up.”

 

Kumar, an ally of the BJP since the mid-1990s, first broke away in 2014, only to return in 2017. He severed ties again in 2022, vowing to challenge the BJP’s rule at the Centre and form a united opposition under the INDIA bloc.

 

However, ahead of last year’s Lok Sabha elections, he reversed course and rejoined the NDA.

 

Blaming his past political manoeuvres on internal party influences, Kumar stated, “I committed the mistake twice. But it is going to be never again.”