Bihar Politics Highlights: Key BJP meet in Patna ends; Nitish Kumar to reveal his cards tomorrow

Amid the political turmoil in Bihar, former Janata Dal (United) president Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh arrived at the residence of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, on Saturday in Patna.

On Saturday, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan met with senior BJP leaders Amit Shah and JP Nadda.

"It was important to know what is happening in Bihar today. On this issue, I held a meeting with Amit Shah and JP Nadda ji today. I have kept my concerns before them over Bihar. They have given assurance on various issues. The situation is very positive regarding the alliance. In the coming days, the situation will become more clear, and after that, our party will take a stand. We are a part of NDA today," said Paswan after the meeting.

On Saturday, RJD leaders arrived at the residence of party leader and Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, in Patna.

Party leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui said, "Whatever decision will be taken, will be told to you (media)."

"Nitish Kumar was instrumental in bringing all the regional forces together. Even today, they have said that they belong to the INDIA alliance. I think they will all come to a consensus," says DMK MP Kanimozhi NVN Somu on Bihar political turmoil.

Check out these pictures of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar offering prayers at a temple in Buxar.

Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan meets Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP National President JP Nadda, at the Union Home Minister's residence in Delhi.

JD (U) leader Sunil Kumar Pintu has weighed in on the current political situation in Bihar.

"...NDA has the numbers. Earlier too, NDA had the numbers and govt was formed under the leadership of Nitish Kumar. In the interest of Bihar, the government should be formed again by forming an alliance...," said JD (U) leader Sunil Kumar Pintu as quoted by news agency ANI.

Bharatiya Janata Party's Core Committee meeting is being held in Patna amid speculations of Nitish Kumar-led JDU severing ties with RJD in the state. BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi has arrived to attend the meeting.

Amid the political crisis in Bihar due to speculations about JDU's exit from alliance with RJD for government in the state, Bengal CM and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee has expressed her opinion.

A source close to Mamata Banerjee has quoted her as saying that JDU leader and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s exit from the INDIA bloc would be 'good riddance,' reported The Telegraph.

“Didi thinks that if Nitish Kumar leaves the INDIA bloc, which is a certainty now, it would be good riddance,” the source said, citing off-the-record discussions the Trinamool chief had with journalists and close aides at Raj Bhavan on Friday evening. “She thinks that the anti-incumbency facing the Nitish-led government would have cost the alliance.”

There will be a meeting of BJP Legislators and all office bearers today at party office at 4 pm.

Congress leader Tariq Anwar has taken a jibe at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over speculations about his party JDU forging ties with BJP.

"The political instability that is arising in Bihar is being created by BJP itself because they are very worried about the INDIA bloc. I still feel that Nitish Kumar will not take any such step which will tarnish the image of him and his party. He has already changed sides twice and if he does so for the third time then his image in the eyes of the people of Bihar will be destroyed," he said.

Weighing in on loss to the INDIA alliance if Nitish Kumar leaves the bloc, Anwar said: "There will be a loss, no one can deny it, but there are other parties in the alliance. If this happens then everyone will face it together."

"(Bihar CM) Nitish Kumar has built an image where everyone keeps guessing and estimating which alliance he will join and when. However, the signs indicate that Nitish is not comfortable with RJD at all, it seems like he's suffocated there (in Grand Alliance or Mahagathbandhan)," says former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha on the buzz over Nitish Kumar's return to NDA fold amid rift in INDIA bloc.

On the current political situation in Bihar, BJP MLA Tarkishore Prasad says, "Yesterday, few Bihar BJP leaders were called for a meeting and a discussion on Lok Sabha elections was held. BJP takes decisions for the betterment of Bihar and the development of the nation. In politics, doors never close. The central leadership of the party will take decisions which are in the interest of Bihar."

The Congress, BJP and RJD have called separate meetings regarding the potential political crisis in Bihar. Union home minister Amit Shah, meanwhile, arrived at the BJP Central Office Extension to attend a meeting regarding Bihar, reported ANI.

Amid heightened political tension in Bihar, the state government carried out major reshuffle in the top bureaucracy and police, transferring six IAS, 79 IPS officials and 45 Bihar Administrative Service officials.

Though the transfers were described as routine required before announcement of election, it led to change of district magistrates and superintendent of police in several districts.

According to a notification by the general administration department, Patna DM Dr Chandrasekhar Singh, a 2010-batch IAS officer, having exceeded three years in Patna has been transferred to the chief minister's secretariat as special secretary. Singh was recently in the news for his war of letters with the state education department over closure of schools in Patna in view of cold wave conditions.

Bihar RJD leader Mrityunjay Tiwari said to ANI, "Nitish-Tejashwi government is working strongly in Bihar and it will continue to do so. This government is working for the benefit of Bihar. When there is no distance between their hearts, then the distance between the chairs does not matter...The BJP is scared about 2024 (general elections) and this is why they are opening doors for all...The current state of confusion should be brought to an end."

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushil Kumar Modi on Friday said doors are never permanently closed to anyone in politics amid indications that Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar may revive ties with the NDA, his former ally, as his equations with INDIA bloc partners reportedly turned sour. Read more

"It is Nitish Kumar's decision," says AAP Haryana president @DrSushilKrGupta when asked about Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's possible return to NDA.

On the current political situation in Bihar, RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha says, "All this is a rumour. And the restlessness which has arisen due to this rumour can only be taken care of by CM Nitish Kumar... Bihar is a topic of discussion in the whole country, and for good reason. I don't see any rift. In the end, the head of this 'mahagathbandhan' is Nitish Kumar. Lalu Prasad and Tejaswi Yadav laid the foundation, the purpose of which was to defeat the hate politics being done by PM Modi..."

Bihar is yet again witnessing political turmoil as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is likely to cross over to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) again, an alliance he left in 2022 to join hands with the Opposition and form 'Mahagathbandhan'.

Speculation about the return of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) continued on Friday even as JD(U) has called a meeting of party legislators on Sunday with Jitan Ram Manjhi, whose Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) is an NDA constituent, reiterating a “big political game” was in the offing. Read more

On Bihar political situation, JD (U) MLC Neeraj Kumar says, "Nitish Kumar ji is the elected CM of the state. He does not aspire for any post. Those who have confusion in their mind should know better. Who can target those who have the arrow in their own hands?..."

On the political situation in Bihar, BJP MP Dilip Ghosh says, "People want to know what Nitish Kumar is up to. Will he take a U-turn again, or will he stand by the expectations of the people?... The problem is that neither can they work separately nor can they work together..."

Power politics in Bihar intensified on Friday amid strong indications that Chief Minister and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar may do yet another volte-face and return to the BJP-led NDA with former state deputy chief minister and BJP Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Modi asserting that "doors are never closed permanently" in politics.

The trouble between JD(U) and RJD was out in the open when Kumar attended the high tea ceremony held at the Raj Bhavan in Patna on the occasion of the Republic Day but his deputy Tejashwi Yadav skipped the function. Kumar was seen exchanging pleasantries with other guests, including BJP’s Vijay Kumar Sinha, who is also the leader of the opposition in the state assembly.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla launched a scathing attack on Congress party after reports of Bihar's CM Nitish Kumar severing his ties with the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) and reuniting with the BJP have triggered concerns about the stability of the 17-month-old, six-party Grand Alliance government.

BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla pointed out that the INDI alliance has been receiving shocks almost every day.

"Shocker after shocker for the INDI alliance. The TMC party has declared that they won't fight elections with an alliance in Bengal. AAP has done the same in Punjab. Leaders are bidding farewell to Rahul Gandhi's Nyay Yatra everywhere."