Bihar CM Nitish Kumar In 'Weakest Phase' Of His Political Career, Shows Lalan Singh Saga

While INDIA bloc has decimated Nitish Kumar's prime ministerial ambition, the Bihar CM is finding himself in the 'catch 22' situation.

Janta Dal (United) leader KC Tyagi today said that Bihar CM Nitish Kumar is the 'convenor' and 'Prime Minister' of INDIA Bloc's ideology. Tyagi's statement came after the JD(U) sidelined Lalan Singh as national president and put Nitish Kumar at the party's helm once again. Tyagi also said that the JDU has a policy level difference with the BJP and the party is not their enemy. 

On the other hand, Kumar's former ally Prashant Kishor today made serious claims saying that now Nitish Kumar has no other option than to contest the upcoming polls as part of the INDIA alliance. Kishor also said that Nitish Kumar is in the last phase of his political career and has become a huge burden as a politician. Kishor also said that Kumar has nowhere to go as there is no taker for him. "It's not that he doesn't want to switch sides but the issue is that there are no takers of him. Nitish Kumar has become a burden as a politician and anyone who takes him will get buried under that burden," said Kishor while interacting with media. 

Since Kumar's political clout has been reducing especially after the INDIA bloc did neither choose him as a PM candidate nor as the convenor, the JD(U) attempted to increase his in the opposition alliance. By removing RJD's close aide Rajeev Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh from the post of national president, JDU has indicated that the party will not tolerate the way Mallikarjun Kharge's name was put forward ignoring Nitish Kumar in the last meeting of the INDIA bloc. Even though Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav left the meeting together with fuming faces, it does not mean their close political friendship. JDU leaders are asking why RJD remained silent when Congress sidelined Nitish Kumar. Since Lalan Singh kept saying publicly that everything was fine within the INDIA alliance, he had to bear the brunt of this and was removed from the post.

Nitish Kumar, who described Atal Bihari Vajpayee as his guardian and Arun Jaitley as his guide, has tried to strengthen his position by sacking Lalan Singh. JDU leaders have already warned Nitish that Singh may weaken the party and its leadership under the RJD's influence. Kumar is giving a subtle message to Lalu Yadav to not consider him weak because there is no permanent friend or enemy in politics. On the other hand, he is also trying to make Congress and Rahul Gandhi realise that the disciple of Jai Prakash who started the new opposition alliance cannot be ignored especially when the Congress has been wiped out from the Hindi belt.