NEW DELHI: Is BJP planning Nitish Kumar 's 'honourable exit' from Bihar politics ? Is BJP looking to reposition him in a different role? As the NDA in Bihar gears up for year end elections speculations are rife that the BJP may stake claim to the top post in the state post elections and find another important role for Nitish Kumar. In such a scenario, Nitish Kumar's son, who has dropped hints for a political debut, may be accommodated at the sate level.
It is in this light that senior BJP leader and former Union minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey floated a possible "plan" in place for a smooth transition of power.
"It is my personal wish that he be made the deputy Prime Minister . If the wish is granted, Bihar will see the second son of its soil, after Babu Jagjivan Ram, rising to the office," Choubey, who was also once a minister in Nitish's cabinet, said.
"Nitish Kumar's contribution to the NDA is tremendous. He has been strengthening the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by playing the role of an anchor in the coalition," he added.
Political analyst Kumar Vijay while speaking to TOI.com said that BJP is likely to remove Nitish from the chief ministerial post in Bihar and relocate him in the central cabinet or any other constitutional post.
"Now, BJP wants to dominate the politics of Bihar and become a senior partner in the alliance. It is very likely that BJP will give Nitish Kumar an 'honourable exit' from Bihar by placing him in the central cabinet," Vijay said.
He further said that the "BJP would attempt to maintain its alliance with the JD(U) by offering Nitish Kumar's son, Nishant, the position of deputy chief minister."
Ashwini Choubey's proposition was, however, quickly snubbed by the JD(U) which cited Union minister Amit Shah 's earlier remark and reiterated that "all NDA partners acknowledge the chief minister as the coalition's leader for the upcoming assembly polls".
"We have nothing to do with who says what. Union minister Amit Shah has already announced that the NDA will fight the next assembly polls under the leadership of Nitish," JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar told reporters.
"Nitish raj ki janata ko ummid hain (People are hopeful of Nitish's rule)," he added.
Earlier in February, Bihar government expanded its cabinet ensuring that the two main NDA partners in the state - the BJP and the JD(U) - have representation in the ministry proportional to their numbers in the assembly. The BJP, which won 74 seats in the 2020 assembly elections now has 21 ministers while JD(U), which won 43 seats, has 13 including the chief minister.
In 2020 assembly elections, dynamics between JD(U) and BJP underwent a change after the saffron party, the junior partner in NDA, overtook the JD(U) in the numbers game. BJP then, however, did not stake claim to the chief minister's post and kept its pre-poll promise of forming the NDA government under Nitish Kumar.
It is in this light that senior BJP leader and former Union minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey floated a possible "plan" in place for a smooth transition of power.
"It is my personal wish that he be made the deputy Prime Minister . If the wish is granted, Bihar will see the second son of its soil, after Babu Jagjivan Ram, rising to the office," Choubey, who was also once a minister in Nitish's cabinet, said.
"Nitish Kumar's contribution to the NDA is tremendous. He has been strengthening the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by playing the role of an anchor in the coalition," he added.
Political analyst Kumar Vijay while speaking to TOI.com said that BJP is likely to remove Nitish from the chief ministerial post in Bihar and relocate him in the central cabinet or any other constitutional post.
"Now, BJP wants to dominate the politics of Bihar and become a senior partner in the alliance. It is very likely that BJP will give Nitish Kumar an 'honourable exit' from Bihar by placing him in the central cabinet," Vijay said.
He further said that the "BJP would attempt to maintain its alliance with the JD(U) by offering Nitish Kumar's son, Nishant, the position of deputy chief minister."
Ashwini Choubey's proposition was, however, quickly snubbed by the JD(U) which cited Union minister Amit Shah 's earlier remark and reiterated that "all NDA partners acknowledge the chief minister as the coalition's leader for the upcoming assembly polls".
"We have nothing to do with who says what. Union minister Amit Shah has already announced that the NDA will fight the next assembly polls under the leadership of Nitish," JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar told reporters.
"Nitish raj ki janata ko ummid hain (People are hopeful of Nitish's rule)," he added.
Earlier in February, Bihar government expanded its cabinet ensuring that the two main NDA partners in the state - the BJP and the JD(U) - have representation in the ministry proportional to their numbers in the assembly. The BJP, which won 74 seats in the 2020 assembly elections now has 21 ministers while JD(U), which won 43 seats, has 13 including the chief minister.
In 2020 assembly elections, dynamics between JD(U) and BJP underwent a change after the saffron party, the junior partner in NDA, overtook the JD(U) in the numbers game. BJP then, however, did not stake claim to the chief minister's post and kept its pre-poll promise of forming the NDA government under Nitish Kumar.
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