Nitish exit diminishes I.N.D.I.A prospects

Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar’s return to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will badly hurt the opposition INDIA grouping, even as it struggles to fully take shape. The alliance has hardly existed in any case, except for the name and some statements of intent. It was yet to get into serious talks about how to translate the intent into action. With Nitish Kumar, pillar of the alliance who had taken the initiative to get several parties to share a common platform, crossing over to the other side, I.N.D.I.A has been diminished. It is not just the departure of an experienced and resourceful leader who had inside knowledge of the working of the rival side that will hurt. Bihar is a big state with 40 Lok Sabha seats and the performance of the alliance in the state is an electorally important factor.  

The JD(U) has blamed the Congress for creating the situation that made the party leave I.N.D.I.A. The Congress certainly is guilty of dillydallying, especially till the time the three recent state Assembly elections were over. Even after that, there was hardly any progress on finalising the leadership line-up or on seat arrangements among the partners. Nitish Kumar wanted to be the convenor of the alliance, and he would have started looking to the other side when there was uncertainty about it. The fanfare over the Ram temple might also have been a consideration for him. He is known for his quicksilver politics and disregard for principles. There is no other senior politician in the country who has shifted sides so often. The BJP grabbed the opportunity, conferring the Bharat Ratna on Karpoori Thakur, which gave Nitish Kumar a talking point. Many politicians live for the moment and make the best of what is on offer and what is possible at the moment. Nitish Kumar has epitomised that brand of cynical and opportunistic politics. Even when it is true that there are no permanent friends or foes in politics, the politics practised by him is of an extreme kind. It has stymied his reputation in other respects, especially as an administrator. 

I.N.D.I.A faces uncertainties on other fronts too. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has ruled out any seat sharing with the Congress in the state, though this may not be the final word. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has said there will be no seat adjustments between the AAP and the Congress in his state. There is uncertainty in other states too. When the elections are weeks away, the alliance is struggling and is caught in a serious crisis of perception.