Bihar political crisis: Nitish Kumar likely to resign today, to stake claim for new government

In the unfolding political crisis in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is reportedly set to resign from his position by noon today. Sources reveal that a number of Congress MLAs are likely to follow suit. 

Kumar, a stalwart of the Janata Dal (United), is scheduled to address a legislative meeting at 10 am, post which he plans to tender his resignation to Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at the Raj Bhavan. He is also expected to stake his claim to form a fresh government with the support of the BJP. The Bihar BJP legislators have a meeting scheduled for 10 am today to deliberate on their strategy. They will then attend a joint JD(U)-BJP legislative meeting. 

Bihar Mahagathbandhan ally RJD held a meeting on Saturday where party leaders entrusted Lalu Prasad Yadav with the authority to make decisions pertaining to the evolving political situation. This was announced by RJD national spokesperson Manoj Jha. The RJD is currently focusing on garnering support to project an image of resilience. They are also strategising for a scenario where they are unable to prevent Nitish Kumar from being sworn in as the Chief Minister for an unprecedented ninth term. The RJD plans to bring up this issue in the assembly during a trust motion in the upcoming budget session on February 5.

Nitish Kumar's anticipated resignation is slated to occur after a meeting with the Governor at 11:30 am. He is also expected to dismiss ministers from the RJD, signaling a clear break from the current coalition. Furthermore, the BJP and JD(U) have reportedly reached a seat-sharing agreement ahead of the Lok Sabha election due in three months, with all BJP MLAs in Bihar having already provided letters of support to Kumar.

This development marks yet another turn in Nitish Kumar's political journey, which has seen several alliances over the years. As the state awaits official confirmation, the political dynamics in Bihar remain on a knife-edge, with potential implications for the upcoming national elections.

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