New Delhi: The BJP is now waiting and watching as a day of fast paced political developments in Bihar with its old ally, the Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United).
Senior BJP leaders including state incharge Vinod Tawde and state unit president Sanjay Choudhary are getting into a huddle in Patna on Saturday to discuss the situation. On Thursday, a similar huddle took place in the house of union minister Amit Shah.
The BJP has been dropping broad hints of a possible comeback of the JDU into the NDA fold. Senior BJP leaders and former deputy CM Sushil Modi said that the BJP is keeping a close watch. “We are keeping an eye on all the developments and if needed an appropriate decision will be taken. No door is permanently closed in politics and the door can be opened if needed,” Modi said.
Speculations of the move had started with Shah, while responding to reporters last week, said that any regional party willing to join the NDA, even former allies, were welcome to join.
On Friday, at the tea ceremony at the governor’s house in Patna, Nitish was seen cozying up to BJP leaders.
The development comes right as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is set to enter the state on January 30. Nitish was set to join him during the yatra. However, Nitish is now likely to share the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a function to be held at Sugauli in Bihar's East Champaran district on February 4.
Nitish, known for his political flip flops, was with the NDA and walked out of the alliance in August 2022 to join the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan. This is not the first time that Nitish had walked out of the NDA — in 2013, it left the BJP and rejoined it in 2017.
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