'Ready For Another Innings With JDU If...': RJD Sets These Conditions For Realignment With Nitish Kumar

Patna: The opposition RJD in Bihar on Thursday said it was ready for yet another realignment with chief minister Nitish Kumar if the JD(U) president showed willingness to snap ties with the BJP which represented "communal forces." 

RJD president Lalu Prasad's close aide and MLA Bhai Virendra made this remark in response to queries from journalists in Khagaria district.

'Many More Games Could Be Played In Future'

"Bihar has been witness to many political games and more such games could be played in future", the MLA remarked, when asked whether he saw the possibility of a "khela" in the wake of perceived tensions between the JD(U) and the BJP.

Probed further, Bhai Virendra said, "Politics is all about possibilities. If Nitish Kumar grows fed up with communal forces and decides he has had enough of the BJP, we will decide (on aligning with JD(U)".

‘What’s The Big Deal'

In the state capital, RJD spokesman Mrityunay Tieari echoed similar views.

He said "What is the big deal? The BJP realigned with Nitish Kumar a year ago, not long after Amit Shah had declared that the doors were shut on him. At least, our leaders have never resorted to such empty rhetoric. Let a situation arise, and a decision will be taken accordingly".

Leaders of the JD(U), which shares power with the BJP at the Centre too, have refrained from directly addressing the issue with their ally, but there have been subtle displays of dissatisfaction. A poster recently released on the party's X handle was captioned "Jab Bihar Ki Baat Ho to Naam Sirf Nitish Kumar Ka Ho".

BJP leaders in Bihar have been working hard to address concerns, emphasizing that Nitish Kumar will "lead" the NDA in the 2025 assembly elections.

On Wednesday, Union Minister Giriraj Singh, once a critic of Kumar, praised the JD(U) chief, even suggesting that he deserved a "Bharat Ratna."

However, a slip-up by Vijay Kumar Sinha, one of the two deputy CMs, has added fuel to the fire. While speaking at an event on Atal Bihari Vajpayee's birth anniversary, Sinha remarked that Bihar's vision of Vajpayee would only be realized "after the BJP forms its own government."

JD(U) leaders have refrained from commenting on the statement.

At the same time, RJD sources indicated that the appointment of Arif Mohammad Khan, a figure seen as strongly pro-BJP, as the new governor of Bihar has caused discomfort among some JD(U) leaders, according to a report in news agency PTI.