Nitish Kumar, the CM of Bihar since the last 15 years, and the person who keeps memories of Bihar’s turn towards the great Indian socialist project (read poverty project) afresh has hinted at getting a national role. Dismayed by losing his protege Sushil Modi of BJP, Nitish Kumar is definitely not comfortable in working with two newly appointed Deputy Chief Ministers.
He did not hesitate in showing his disappointment over losing the colleague who was happy with BJP playing the role of a junior partner.”We worked together and our wishes were known to everyone. But every party takes its own decisions and if they are taking him from here to the centre then it’s a matter of happiness. He will be among those to be a member of all the four houses (in Bihar and in parliament),” said the seven-time-CM of Bihar.
After attending Sushil Modi’s Rajya Sabha nomination, he congratulated the former Deputy CM for a role in the centre. “Now he’s going to be a member of the Rajya Sabha so special congratulations to him. And I hope that in future, under the guidance of his party’s top leadership, he will get a chance to serve the nation and he will get opportunities to work more in the days to come. We are very happy,” he said.
The former Deputy CM of Bihar is very likely to be elected unopposed as the opposition has not decided a candidate against him yet. Once Sushil Modi gets a ministry in the Union government under Prime Minister Modi, it is very likely that Nitish Kumar would also retire from Bihar politics and approach the Union government. Given the fact he has already shown disappointment over losing Sushil Modi, Nitish Kumar knows that very little is left for him in Bihar politics with the new leadership of the saffron party, and they are not expected to be as cooperative and loyal as the former Deputy CM.
The two old leaders had a symbiotic relationship where both fed off each other and ensured that their status quo was maintained in the state. Sushil Modi kept sweeping Nitish Kumar’s blunders under the rug whereas the ‘Sushashan Babu’ made sure that Sushil Modi enjoyed the chair of Deputy CM all along. The BJP high-command destroyed the ‘access of convenience’ that both, Nitish Kumar and Sushil Modi, had brokered amongst themselves and brought the later in the central leadership through the nomination for Rajya Sabha.
Nitish Kumar, who once used to see himself as a challenger to PM Modi, now faces no problem working under his leadership. The secular icon of Bihar who in 2014 dreamt to become the Prime Minister of the country, sought PM Modi’s support to retain the CM chair of Bihar. In 2013, Nitish Kumar led JD(U) broke away with BJP when the saffron party declared Modi as Prime Ministerial candidate to distance himself from the so-called “communal” leader whose support he sought to swear-in as CM for the seventh time.
Now the 69-year-old Bihar CM is looking for retirement, and, for a graceful exit, he first wants to approach the Union government. Given the fact he had handled Railways, Transport, and Agriculture ministries in the past, BJP would sideline him by allocating a plum ministry to him in the Centre.
