High-Stakes Meetings: JD-U, BJP, and RJD Gather MLAs for Crucial Discussions

After attending a high tea event at the Raj Bhavan in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar convened a meeting with his trusted ministers and MLAs at his residence on Friday evening. Additionally, he scheduled a meeting with all JD-U MLAs at his residence on Saturday, sparking speculation about his potential seventh term as Chief Minister with BJP’s support. According to sources, the BJP might secure two Deputy CM positions for supporting Nitish Kumar, replicating the arrangement after the 2020 Assembly elections.

Sources suggest that Nitish Kumar is devising a strategy to form the government in collaboration with the BJP and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) in Bihar. Notable leaders, including Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, Lalan Singh, Ashok Chaudhary, Bijendra Gupta, and Sanjay Jha, were present at the CM’s residence during Friday evening’s meeting.

Simultaneously, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) has instructed all JD-U MLAs to reach Patna by Friday night. Nitish Kumar is anticipated to announce his resignation and provide an explanation for his decision. Following the meeting, he plans to formally submit his resignation to Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and claim the formation of the government with BJP and HAM support.

Currently, JD-U has 45 MLAs, BJP has 76, and HAM has 4, totaling 125 MLAs, three more than the 122 required to form the government. The absence of a few MLAs at Saturday’s meeting could pose challenges for Nitish Kumar and the NDA.

Apart from JD-U, both the BJP and the RJD have called meetings of their MLAs on Saturday. RJD supremo Lalu Prasad is closely monitoring the situation. Presently, RJD has 79 MLAs, Congress has 19, and the Left parties have 12. The unfolding events will be intriguing, especially if some MLAs choose not to attend Saturday’s meeting, potentially complicating matters for Nitish Kumar and the NDA coalition.