Nitish Kumar likely to resign today; JDU-BJP may stake claim for new Bihar government

New Delhi : With the political turmoil in Bihar reaching a peak, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is poised to resign by noon today. Sources say he will address the legislature before heading to Raj Bhavan to resign and form a new BJP-backed government, taking some Congress MLAs with him.

BJP is playing it safe, letting Nitish Kumar make the first move. Party legislators get together at 10 am, and later, both JD(U) and BJP legislators meet to chart their course after the expected resignation.

Facing a dynamic political landscape in Bihar, the RJD rallied behind their leader, Lalu Prasad Yadav, granting him absolute discretion to navigate any decision necessary. National spokesperson Manoj Jha announced this empowered mandate.

Facing the possibility of Nitish Kumar's ninth term, the RJD is adopting a dual strategy. They are actively seeking numerical support while simultaneously crafting a long-term plan to challenge his power, potentially culminating in a February 5 assembly showdown.

JD(U) spokesperson KC Tyagi dropped a bombshell on Saturday, predicting the "imminent collapse" of Bihar's Mahagathbandhan government. The RJD-Congress-Left alliance, alongside the INDIA bloc in Punjab, West Bengal, and Bihar, faces imminent downfall, according to his stark assessment.