Coalition government in Bihar on verge of collapse

The Janata Dal (United) may shortly declare its break with alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party, putting the coalition government in Bihar in danger of dissolving. According to sources, the JDU is preparing to establish a different government.

Along with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Left Front, and the Congress, the Nitish Kumar-led JDU plans to form an alternative administration. Due to the lack of support for midterm elections among most MLAs, an alternative alliance is being put together.

The last straw, according to JDU, was the former party president RCP Singh’s apparent closeness to the BJP. JDU claims that the BJP is trying to split the party.

Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of Bihar, has convened a conference of all Janata Dal (United) MLAs and MPs for Tuesday, fueling concern that his escalating hostility toward the BJP may reach a boiling point. According to sources close to Nitish, he is furious at how Bihar BJP leaders attacked him while the national party leadership did nothing.

RCP Singh was allegedly refused another Rajya Sabha seat by Kumar’s party last month because he had allegedly joined the cabinet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year without consulting him.