Bihar political crisis: Latest developments

NEW DELHI: Parallel meetings of the JD(U) and the opposition RJD are under way in Bihar amid speculations of a major political move by chief minister Nitish Kumar.
The meeting of JD(U) MPs and MLAs is being held at the chief minister's official residence in Patna. The meeting of the RJD legislators, on the other hand, is convened by party leader Tejashwi Yadav at his mother Rabri Devi's Circular Road bungalow.
Meanwhile, the BJP is also held a meeting at deputy chief minister Tarkishor Prasad's residence.
Here are the latest developments:

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday sought an appointment with governor Phagu Chauhan at 4pm, sources said. This came after the chief minister chaired a meeting of JD(U) legislators and MPs at the residence of Kumar in Patna following the resignation of party leader RCP Singh on Saturday.
Though no official announcements have been made, Kumar is likely to split with ally BJP for a second time in eight years and embrace support from the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan to continue in office.
Cong, Left parties handover MLAs' lists to Tejashwi Yadav
The Congress and Left parties have handed over over the lists of their legislators to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav.
Even as the meeting of RJD was going on, legislators from the Congress and Left parties also reached Rabri Devi;s residence and handed over their lists to Tejashwi Yadav.
Mandan Mohan Singh, the state president of Congress, said, "We will support Nitish Kumar if he leaves the BJP and forms a new government with the help of Mahagathbandhan. We have also given the list of all 19 MLAs of our party to RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav."
"We have also given the list to Tejashwi Yadav. We will uproot the BJP from power. We are giving support to Nitish Kumar for the formation of a new government," CPI (ML) MLA Mahboob Alam said.
The big Bihar number game
With growing tension between JD(U) and BJP, Lalu Prasad-led RJD, the single largest party in the 243-member assembly with 79 seats, dissolved its media panel and advised all senior functionaries to refrain from making any public statement as it tries to take advantage of the evolving scenario. Should it come to that, combination of the 45-strong JD(U) and RJD alone would give them a majority of 124 seats in the House with a strength of 243.
Currently, BJP holds 77 seats in the Bihar assembly. JD(U) holds 45, the Congress 19, the Left led by CPIML(L) has 16 and the RJD 79.

According to sources, if the two sort out the complex issues of who should get the chief ministership, the choice of speaker and control of the home department, then Nitish Kumar may recommend the removal of BJP ministers and fill the vacancies with those from RJD, thus getting around the need to be sworn in afresh.
'No major crisis facing NDA govt'
More than one of the prospective attendees of the JD(U) meeting denied that the party's ties with the BJP have worsened to an extent to call for a realignment.
"Our party had held many such meetings of MPs and MLAs in the past. We have been told that the current meeting has been called to discuss organisational matters. Never heard about any major crisis in the NDA," said Ram Nath Thakur, a Rajya Sabha member, low key but known to enjoy proximity to the chief minister by virtue of being the son of late Karpoori Thakur, the latter's political mentor.
Leshi Singh, who is an MLA and a minister in the Nitish Kumar cabinet, said, "I was away for the last four or five days but I have an idea of how things have been. There does not seem to be any major crisis facing the NDA government. It goes without saying, though, that the party will abide by any decision taken by the chief minister".
"Rumours of political realignment have been afloat for a couple of years. Let us not make any rash assumptions. Once the party leadership takes any decision, it will be definitely made known to all," RJD MLA Chetan Anand, who is serving his first term, said.
'Ready to embrace JD(U) if Nitish breaks ranks with BJP'
RJD national vice-president Shivanand Tiwary said on Monday that the party is ready to 'embrace' chief minister Nitish Kumar and his JD(U) if he broke ranks with the BJP.
"If Nitish chooses to dump NDA, what choice do we have except to embrace him (‘gale lagaenge'). RJD is committed to fighting the BJP. If the chief minister decides to join this fight, we will have to take him along," said Tiwary.
Take on BJP directly: Chirag Paswan to Nitish Kumar
Former Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Chirag Paswan on Monday hit out at JD(U) and dared it to take on the BJP directly instead of accusing him of involvement in a conspiracy to dent chief minister Nitish Kumar's popularity.
He claimed that the chief minister faced "greater danger from his close aides than from me" even as he alleged that Nitish Kumar has insulted former JD(U) national president RCP Singh, and had previously humiliated Sharad Yadav as well.
"Never before has one heard of a party accusing its own former national president of corruption. But, this is Nitish Kumar for you," Paswan said.
Nitish Kumar skips NITI Aayog meeting
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on Sunday skipped the NITI Aayog meeting chaired by PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi. This is the fourth meeting called by the Union government since July 17 that Nitish preferred to stay away from, amid sour relations with ally BJP.
Though there has been no official word on the reason behind Nitish's absence, sources in the Bihar government said the 71-year old leader, who recovered from Covid recently, wants to avoid travel to distant places as a precautionary measure.
Earlier, Nitish kept away from a meeting of CMs called on July 17, over matters concerning the national flag, by Union minister of home affairs Amit Shah. On July 22, Nitish chose not to attend the farewell dinner hosted by PM Modi for outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind. He also skipped the swearing-in of the NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu as the President of the country.
RCP Singh resigns from JD(U)
JD(U)’s former president and former Union minister RCP Singh resigned from the party and its primary membership on Saturday, two days after the party asked him to give an explanation on all the immovable properties (plot of lands) the members of his family have got registered in their name in the last nine years, from 2013 to 2022.
"I am announcing my resignation from the primary membership of the JD(U) through this press conference," Singh said while talking to reporters at his native village Mustafapur in Bihar’s Nalanda district on Saturday.
"All the lands mentioned in the party workers’ allegations were purchased in the names of my two daughters Lipi Singh and Lata Singh. The former is an IPS officer and latter is an advocate. Both have been filing their separate income tax returns for the last 10 years. All the lands have been purchased through legal means," the former party president said.
"Today, I am deeply sad because they have now gone to such a low-level to level allegation of corruption against my daughters and spouse. How can I continue with such persons?" he asked and added, "I once again challenge those persons who have made allegations to prove the charges of corruption against me. Not a single plot of land has been purchased by me."
Sending a letter to Singh on Thursday, Bihar JD(U) president Umesh Kushwaha asked the party’s former national president to give his ‘point-wise’ clear-cut explanation on the allegations raised by two party workers of Nalanda, the home district of Singh. Kushwaha also sent a copy of the party workers’ allegations to Singh.
Incidentally, Kushwaha was appointed as the state president by Singh when he was the party’s national president.
Relations between the BJP and the JD(U) have been worsening for quite some time in the wake of disagreements over a host of issues including caste census, population control and the ‘Agnipath' defence recruitment scheme.
CPIML (Liberation) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya had told PTI on Monday the crux of the row between JD(U) and BJP also stemmed from the recent statement by J P Nadda, president of the saffron party, who said regional parties “have no future”.
- With agency inputs