Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar flew to Delhi on Thursday to be sworn in as an MLC in the Rajya Sabha, sparking serious speculation of an imminent change of leadership in the state. His successor’s appointment is set to commence when he returns to Patna.
Working president of the Janata Dal (United), Sanjay Kumar Jha, stated that the transition would also begin after the end of the unlucky Khardamas period on April 13. Significant decisions are usually not made during Khadmas. It will start on April 14, Jha said.
Kumar will also meet the senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Delhi to develop a transition roadmap. According to sources, the BJP has held internal meetings to determine the modalities and form a new government as early as mid-April.
There is a lot of speculation that the new cabinet will have new faces, possibly including the son of Kumar, Nishant Kumar. Meanwhile, the Bihar minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary assured that Kumar is expected to resign upon his return to Delhi, as per constitutional provisions.
Leaders who go to the forefront of the merit list of the top post include Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, but the BJP has a record of making unforeseen decisions. According to party insiders, a transition will be made under close scrutiny, given that Kumar had led the party for 2 decades and wielded sway over the coalition’s politics.
Political observers, such as DM Diwakar, believe the toughest part will begin once the transition period ends, as the new chief minister will always be judged by Kumar’s governance record.
The upcoming transition will most likely be both strategic and closely monitored as Bihar is the only significant Hindi-speaking state where the BJP has not been able to form a coalition government on its own.
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