Only 8 JDU MLAs Can Force Nitish Out Of Power; Is Tejashwi Yadav Planning 'Khela Hobe' In Bihar?

BJP leader Giriraj Singh has repeatedly said that Nitish Kumar's game is over in Bihar. While the RJD leader and Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav has brushed aside Singh's statement, the recent turmoil within Nitish Kumar's Janta Dal (United) has sent rumour mills buzzing after the ouster of Lalan Singh, who is said to be close to Lalu Yadav. According to reports, Lalan Singh had proposed to Nitish Kumar to make Tejashwi Yadav CM and after the Bihar CM rejected the idea, around a dozen JDU MLAs held a secret meeting in Patna. Now, if the reports of the rift between Nitish Kumar and his right hand Lalan Yadav are true, the RJD might try to benefit from it. To oust Nitish Kumar, RJD just needs the support of 8 JDU MLAs. 

By not endorsing Nitish Kumar's name for key posts during the INDIA bloc's 4th meeting, Lalu Yadav has already shown that he is closer to Congress and only acting to be a friend of the JDU. Also, Left parties will back only that party which gets support from the Congress. This makes the power equation interesting in Bihar where the majority mark is 122.

बिहार के सीएम नीतीश कुमार पर केंद्रीय मंत्री गिरिराज सिंह का बड़ा हमला, बोले- 'लालू यादव JDU विधायकों के संपर्क में हैं, नीतीश कुमार की सरकार कभी भी गिर सकती है' #GirirajSingh #NitishKumar #Bihar #ZeeNews pic.twitter.com/EAyZ1yMPig — Zee News (@ZeeNews) December 31, 2023

After Nitish Kumar again became the JDU president, talks of breaking away 10-12 MLAs from JDU have been in the air in Bihar. Nitish Kumar had already announced that Tejashwi will be CM after him and now the RJD has sensed that Kumar has no plan to step down. Thus the RJD wants Tejashwi Yadav to become Chief Minister of the state. There are 243 assembly seats in Bihar and to form the government, it is necessary to have 122 MLAs. RJD has 79 MLAs and it has the support of 19 Congress MLAs and 16 MLAs of Left parties. This takes the total to 114. That means Lalu Yadav's party needs only 8 more MLAs to form the government. RJD may also break away a few of the AIMIM MLAs. The JDU has 45 MLAs and the BJP has 78 MLAs.

Amid the recent rumblings in Bihar, there are reports that the RJD is going to call a crucial meeting of the party soon. Tejashwi Yadav has already cancelled his foreign trip amid all this drama and this has added fuel to the fire. Now, it will be important to see whether Nitish Kumar again holds the hands of NDA or will continue with the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar.