Nitish Kumar : Sushashan Babu Does Not Keep His Promise

Picture : @NitishKumar/X

Going into  the Bihar Polls  in Late 2025 , the JD(U) party of Chief Minister  Nitish Kumar who had alliance with the  BJP  had come out with a rather catchy slogan  “25 se 30, phir se Nitish”. The hint from JD(U) to ally BJP was loud and clear . Nitish  would be the Chief Minister if  the alliance  wins .

The alliance viewers of the  JD(U) and, BJP  and Chirag Paswan’s LJP ( Ram Vilas) powered their way to landslide win . paving the way for Nitish to take oath as Chief Minister for the record 10th time.  All the talk of an-incumbency and age issues were put to rest .  But politics is not one to  stay silent for long ,

BJP had all along had played second fiddle to the JD(U)  in Bihar. Resting on Nitish’s shoulders whenever it  came to power in the state . This time with seats  for more than the  JD( U) 85 and BJP 89  the saffron party smelt power .

In a dramatic  move  Nitish Kumar  resigned as Chief Minister and was moved to Rajya Sabha. . A move that stunned his party  JD(U) and the opposition who took no time to say that the exit of Nitish was  betrayal of the  verdict given by the people .  If  Nitish was to be sent to Rajya Sabha, why was he the face of the NDA  as CM  to win the polls ? Was it it the BJP startegy that they  knew they had no local leaders who were powerful enough to win them the majority on their own. So they  rode on Nitish’s appeal  to power only to oust  in barely six months time .

Nitish leaving his five-year term mid- way  has surprised political pundits  . With Nitish in  upper house , his exit from Bihar politics has  reminded the people of the  Maharashtra model adopted by the BJP along with its allies the  Eknath Shinde ( Shiv Sena) and Ajit Pawar ( NCP).

In Maharashtra too , The NDA  went into the poll campaign under the leadership of Eknath Shinde. But once the  BJP ( 132)  got more seats than it allies  Shinde ( 57 and Ajit Pawar ( NCP) 41. The game was over for Eknath Shinde . It was apparent as BJP with more seats would wrest back the Chief minister’s chair. Eknath Shinde was left to cool his heels and don the role of Deputy Chief Minister.  So the BJP has repeated the  Maharashtra model in Bihar in its shrewd way.

Apart from  BJP’s CM ambitions in Bihar , another  move is set to create a stir. The entry of Nishant Kumar, son Of Nitish Kumar in the political arena .  If he is part of the government then what happens to the  BJP’s often repeated jibe at the  Gandhi’s  as Dynasts?  It is nothing but sheer hyprocrisy .

And BJP’s double standards on Dynasts was explained by  then National Confrence Vice- president Omar Abdullah in an interview in 2024. Abdullah was quoted as saying politicians are neither branded “dynasts” nor “corrupt” once they align with the BJP. He argued that the BJP ignores dynastic practices within its own ranks or alliances. Well next time Prime Minister Narendra Modi, or  Amit Shah mentions Dynasts they should  be advised to look within first .

Lastly, for the 75 year-old Nitish Kumar, no matter how much BJP defends his Rajya Sabha move and praise his role in Bihar politics , the fact that why he was not allowed to complete his five- year term  will always remain a mystery. It is certainly not the ending  Nitish would have hoped for of his long innings in politics .