Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar who has resigned as Bihar Chief Minister on Sunday is set to form a new government in the state after quitting the Mahagathbandhan alliance comprising RJD and Congress.
He met with JD(U) legislators on Sunday morning before heading to Raj Bhavan around 10am to meet Governor Rajendra Arlekar and tender his resignation, said reports. The party leaders authorised JD(U) President Nitish Kumar to take any decision.
Nitish is likely to form a new government with BJP support.
However, this is not the first time that the JD(U) chief has switched sides. He has done it thrice before, all within a span of decade since Narendra Modi came to power in the Centre. This has earned him the nickname 'Paltu Ram' (turncoat).
Here is a look at when and why Nitish switched sides:
2015: Quitting NDA over Modi's PM candidature
When Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister candidate for BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, Nitish slammed the move, saying his party will stand for secularism. Ahead of the 2015 Bihar assembly elections he teamed up with his main rival Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress to form the first Mahagathbandhan coalition. The grand alliance won a whopping 178 seats and formed the government.
2017: Quitting Mahagathbandhan over IRCTC scam
However, in 2017, the ties between the allies were strained amid CBI raids at Lalu's residence over IRCTC scam. Nitish asked Lalu to come clean on the issue, the latter accused the Bihar CM of corruption. Nitish then quit the alliance and rejoined NDA and became CM once again with BJP backing. Sushil Modi was his deputy CM. This was when Nitish was first monikered 'Paltu Ram' by the RJD leaders.
2022: Quitting NDA over insecurity
Nitish's second stint with NDA didn't last for long as the alliance headed for splitsville following the 2020 Assembly elections. BJP was reluctant to make Nitish the CM face as the JDU's Assembly seats fell from 71 in 2015 to 43 in 2020 while the former increased its seats to 74 from 53. Nitish also feared that the BJP may split his party using JD(U) leader adn then Union Minister R.C.P. Singh.
2024: Quitting Mahagathbandhan over strained RJD ties
The rumour about Nitish going back to NDA started spreading after Lalu's daughter Rohini Acharya slammed Nitish for his 'dynasty politics' remark and posted on X about "changing ideology as the winds change its direction”. She has since deleted the cryptic posts but the there seems to be no going back for the two former allies.