‘All JD(U) MPs, MLAs at consensus that…’: Nitish Kumar after his resignation

Nitish Kumar met the Bihar governor and submitted a support letter of 160 MLAs to stake claim to form a new government.

Soon after resigning as chief minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar on Tuesday said all MPs and MLAs of the JD(U) are at a consensus that the party should leave the NDA.

JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar

“All MPs and MLAs are at a consensus that we should leave the NDA,” said Kumar after submitting his resignation to Bihar Governor Phagu Chauhan following a meeting of his JD(U), where a decision was taken to quit the BJP-led NDA.

He also submitted a support letter of 160 MLAs to stake claims to form a new government, breaking the alliance with the BJP in the state.

Before this, JD(U) parliamentary board president Upendra Kushwaha shared a congratulatory message for Kumar for "assuming leadership of a new coalition in a new form".

"March ahead Nitish ji. The country is waiting for you," Kushwaha added in the tweet.

Kumar emerged from his residence in a cavalcade and greeted a large number of party workers, who had been waiting outside to catch a glimpse of their leader.

Workers of opposition RJD, which appeared tipped to be a part of the new government, joined their counterparts in the JD(U) in raising the slogan "Nitish Kumar zindabad”.

Around 4 pm, Kumar arrived at Raj Bhavan and met Chauhan and apprised him of his decision to quit as the state chief minister.

Police personnel were seen deployed in force outside the chief minister's residence. According to news agency ANI, many JD(U) legislators told chief minister Kumar in the meeting that the alliance with the BJP had weakened them since 2020.

Without naming Chirag Paswan, the legislators are reported to have recalled the actions of former Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief during the 2020 state assembly polls while warning the CM that if they were not alert, it would not be good for the party.

Paswan had fielded rebel BJP candidates in all seats fought by the JD(U) in the 2020 polls, in what some have alleged was part of a plot of the BJP to wedge its way into the ruling coalition in the state.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan opposition alliance was also held on Tuesday at former chief minister Rabri Devi's residence with the participation of leaders of the CPI-ML and the Congress - part of the Opposition 'Mahagathbandhan' alliance in the state.

According to sources, after the meeting Rashtriya Janata Dal MLAs, MLCs and Rajya Sabha MP authorised party leader Tejashwi Yadav to take a decision and asserted their support to him. According to sources, Congress and Left parties MLAs have also expressed their supported to Yadav.

Sources said that RJD party supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav is closely watching the developments but everything was being done by Tejashwi Yadav.

Meanwhile, Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughter Rohini Acharya took to Twitter to post about an impending political change in the state."Get ready for the coronation, lantern holder", she tweeted in Hindi and added a 'victory' emoticon to it.

The RJD-led Opposition in the state has said that it will welcome any re-alignment in Bihar's ruling coalition without the BJP.

(With inputs from PTI, ANI)