Bihar Politics highlights: ‘We will stay together,’ says Nitish after returning to NDA

On INDIA alliance and Bihar political situation, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad says, " If the main man (Nitish Kumar) behind this alliance says so, then there was no future (for INDIA alliance). There is no vacancy for the Prime Ministerial post. BJP will have a historic win in Lok Sabha polls and in Bihar we will win the whole 40 seats"

On JDU President Nitish Kumar's resignation as Bihar CM, DMK leader TKS Elangovan says, "I dont know what kind of pressure he is facing from BJP. BJP wants to break the INDIA alliance because they are afraid they might lose the elections... They have particularly chosen Bihar by convincing Nitish Kumar that Lalu Prasad will become CM... That might be used against Lalu Prasad since both of them are in the same alliance, and Nitish Kumarmight lose his seat. Our party leaders will have a talk with them..."

JD(U) leader KC Tyagi says, " ...Congress wanted to steal the leadership of INDIA alliance. In the meeting that took place on 19th December, through a conspiracy, to get the leadership of INDIA alliance, Mallikarjun Kharge's name was proposed (as PM face), earlier in the meeting that took place in Mumbai, it was unanimously decided that without any PM face, INDIA alliance will work...through a conspiracy, Mamata Banerjee was made to propose Kharge's name as PM face...all other parties have made their own identity by fighting against Congress...Congress kept dragging the seat sharing, we kept saying that seat sharing needs to happen immediately...INDIA lacked plans to fight against BJP"

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday called Nitish Kumar ‘aya ram, gaya ram', after the latter resigned as the chief minister of Bihar and exited the Opposition's INDIA bloc. In Indian politics, political turncoats are referred to as ‘aya ram, gaya ram’. Read more

Nitish Kumar submits BJP's letter of support to Governor Rajendra Arlekar, Governor accepts the letter. CM Nitish Kumar and two Deputy CMs from BJP likely to take oath today: Bihar BJP Sources

In his first reaction to the political turmoil after handing over his resignation letter to the Governor, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said the state of affairs in the 'Mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance) formed one and a half years ago was 'not good'.

"I resigned as chief minister and requested the Governor to dissolve the government. The situation came to this pass as the state of affairs within the ruling alliance in Bihar wasn't good. I sought the advice and opinions of everyone before coming to this decision. I took all opinions and suggestions to heart. The government is being dissolved today," Nitish told reporters on Sunday.

CM Nitish Kumar and two Deputy CMs from BJP likely to take oath today: Bihar BJP Sources

The Bharatiya Janata Party here on Sunday termed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's resignation claiming "things were not working well" for him in the 'Mahagathbandhan' as expected as the JD (U) president and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad were poles apart.

"Political turn of events in Bihar was expected ...What I wonder is how a seasoned and honest politician like Nitish Kumar could continue so long with them (Mahagathbandhan)," Jharkhand BJP chief and former state chief minister Babulal Marandi told PTI.

Taking a dig at RJD supremo Prasad, Marandi said "nature and signature of a person doesn't change" and Nitish Kumar could realise this after such a long time.

Santosh Suman, Jitan Ram Manjhi of (HAM) reaches CM house for meeting

Hindustani Aawam Morcha (HAM) holds a meeting in Patna, amid political developments in Bihar.

After the resignation of Nitish Kumar as the CM of Bihar, RJD leader Mrityunjay Tiwari says, "What was left with him? Public is the master. It watches everything and it will demand an account for everything...The work done by Tejashwi Yadav - janata ke beech jayenge aur NDA ki naav, Nitish ki naav dubayenge..."

BJP MP and former Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi says, "We welcome Nitish Kumar's decision. We knew that the RJD-JDU alliance was an unnatural alliance and would not last long. We are happy and now JDU And BJP will together form the government. I hope that the new government will be formed in the next 2-3 hours..."

"Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha have been elected as leader and deputy leader of the legislative party, respectively. Most certainly, they will be our face for the deputy CM position," says BJP leader and former Bihar Deputy CM

After being elected as the Leader of the Legislative Party, state BJP chief Samrat Chaudhary says, "BJP did a historic thing for my life...This is an emotional moment for me to have been elected as the Leader of the Legislative Party to be a part of the government...The mandate that we received in 2020 for the development of Bihar and to end the terror of Lalu Yadav - when the BJP received the proposal from Nitish Kumar to ensure that there is no jungle raj in Bihar and Sanjay Jha came here as his ambassador, we decided to support it..."

Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday resigned as the chief minister of Grand Alliance government alleging that things were not moving in the government. He is likely to take oath of the NDA government later in the evening.

Coming out of the Raj Bhawan after submitting his resignatin, Kumar told mediapersons, “Theek nahi chal raha tha (Everything was not moving right). I was trying to make things move. The RJD’s attitude was bothering me. The situation in GA govt was not good. Claims and counter claims have started,” he said while giving the explanation for resignation.

BJP chief JP Nadda to leave for Patna from Delhi this afternoon. He will return to Delhi later in the night.

Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar has blamed the slow progress of talks with the INDIA bloc for his exit from the Opposition's alliance. In his first reaction after his resignation as the Bihar chief minister, Kumar said he tried to make the alliance work with "no response was coming".

"...In the legislative party meeting...all MLAs unanimously passed the proposal to form the NDA government in Bihar with BJP, JD(U) and other NDA allies for the welfare of the people in the state. Samrat Chaudhary has been elected as the Leader of the legislative party, Vijay Sinha elected as the Deputy Leader."

Samrat Choudhary made BJP legislature party leader and Vihat Kumar Sinha made deputy leader.

"I thank Nitish Kumar that he has resigned. Whatever be his compulsion, Bihar was perplexed if there was a Jungle Raj 2-like situation in 1.5 years. Had Tejashwi Yadav sat on the seat (CM position), it would have been very difficult...I was concerned about just one thing now, I was apprehensive that with the kind of pressure that Lalu Yadav was putting on him for the 'tajposhi' of Tejashwi - Bihar would have had a jungle raj again. It is free of this now. BJP won't allow jungle raj in Bihar..."

JD(U) leader Sanjay Jha arrives at the BJP office in Patna, Bihar.

JD(U) president Nitish Kumar resigned as the CM of the state and told the Governor to dissolve the government.

As Nitish Kumar resigns, Bihar BJP legislature party has called for a meeting, which will take place after PM's Mann Ki Baat and will review recent developments in the state and decide further course of action- Vinod Tawde, BJp’s national general secretary and in-charge of Bihar

Honorable Governor Shri Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar @rajendraarlekar accepted the resignation of Honorable Chief Minister Shri Nitish Kumar and asked him to act as acting Chief Minister until alternative arrangements are made.

"Today, I have resigned as the Chief Minister and I have also told the Governor to dissolve the government in the state. This situation came because not everything was alright...I was getting views from everyone. I listened to all of them. Today, the Government has been dissolved..." says Nitish Kumar

I decided after taking views of all...I was making all out effort to make INDIA bloc running..but no response was coming, Nitish Kumar said.