Nitish Kumar is expected to be sworn in as the Chief Minister of Janata Dal (United) and the BJP government in Bihar on January 28, BJP veteran Sushil Modi is likely to become the new deputy minister.
Sushil Modi commented on the development, stating that closed doors can open in politics, which he referred to as a "game of possibilities." He, however, chose not to elaborate further on the issue. he said to India Today.
This development comes amidst political unrest in Bihar, with tensions within the current alliance of JD(U) and Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). The tension, brewing for some time, escalated this week when the BJP-led Centre conferred the Bharat Ratna on socialist icon Karpoori Thakur. In addition, Nitish Kumar's remark about 'parivarvaad' (familialism) received a sharp response from Lalu Yadav's daughter Rohini Acharya in a now-deleted tweet.
Congress sources indicated that they are closely monitoring the situation. However, they expressed skepticism about Nitish Kumar shifting back to the BJP, citing doubts regarding Chirag Paswan and Upender Kushwaha. The Congress sources also noted that, unlike before, the Assembly speaker is now from their side (RJD).