"INDIA alliance does not even exist anywhere": BJP leader CT Ravi

BENGALURU: Amid reports that Nitish Kumar may rejoin the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), BJP leader CT Ravi on Saturday said that the INDIA alliance does not even exist anywhere as allies of INDIA bloc are fighting each other.

"Politics is not stagnant, it goes on... INDIA alliance does not even exist anywhere. In Kerala, CPM and Congress are facing each other. In Delhi, and Punjab, AAP and Congress stand against each other. In West Bengal, TMC, CPM, and Congress are against each other. Only when they come to Delhi they say we are one... Just because of their mutual hatred, they cannot come together. They have no direction, no leader, no planning," said BJP leader CT Ravi.

As speculation of Nitish Kumar's switchover to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) intensified, the Chief Minister was seen arriving at Shri Baba Brahmeshwarnath Dham to lay the foundation of the second phase of development works in Buxar's Brahmpur.

Earlier in the day, Kumar was seen flagging off new fire tender vehicles of the Bihar Fire Department in Patna.

Though the event was under the aegis of the state's Disaster Management Department, which is headed by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, only Kumar was seen present at the event.

All eyes are set on the Bihar Chief Minister's activities as speculations that Nitish Kumar may cross over to the NDA again grow rife. Kumar left the NDA in 2022 to join hands with the opposition and form the 'Mahagathbandhan'.

The political confusion amongst the allies of the ruling faction has caught parties off guard. Bihar Congress leader Prem Chandra Mishra said, "The people in power should end this situation of confusion and bring clarity...For us, Nitish ji is still a part of the INDIA alliance."

RJD leader and Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha also appealed to the Bihar CM to end the speculation and confusion.

"All this is a rumour. And the restlessness which has arisen due to this rumour can only be taken care of by CM Nitish Kumar... Bihar is a topic of discussion in the whole country, and for good reason. I don't see any rift. In the end, the head of this 'mahagathbandhan' is Nitish Kumar. Lalu Prasad and Tejaswi Yadav laid the foundation, the purpose of which was to defeat the hate politics being done by PM Modi..." Manoj Jha said.

However, the JDU is yet to clear the air and underline the way forward for the state.

Meanwhile, a Bharatiya Janata Dal (BJP) meeting has begun in Patna over the weekend in which Bihar BJP leaders are slated to discuss the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Nitish Kumar, after parting ways with the BJP in 2022, took on the initiative of uniting all opposition forces to jointly take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling party in the national election. He hosted the first meeting of opposition parties in Patna, and it was widely believed that he would eventually be the coalition's Convenor.

If Nitish crosses over, this would be the fourth time he would be switching sides. In the Bihar Assembly of 243, the RJD has 79 MLAs; followed by the BJP's 78; the JD(U)'s 45' the Congress's 19, the CPI (M-L)'s 12, two each of the CPI(M) and CPI, the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular)'s four seats, and the AIMIM's one, plus one Independent legislator.