Nitish Kumar’s words that may haunt him now: ‘NDA has no vision’ to ‘BJP will be finished in Bihar’ to caste census

In the course of less than one-and-half years, Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) supremo Nitish Kumar broke up with the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) to join hands with the BJP again, to take oath as the CM at the head of the NDA government for ninth time Sunday.

Last year, Nitish had also emerged as a key architect of the Opposition’s INDIA alliance – formed to take on the Narendra Modi-led BJP government in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls – as he had toured several non-BJP states before organising its first meeting in Patna. Here is a look at ten statements made by Nitish over the last six months that he may now want to forget or even retract.

June 23, 2023: ‘Seventeen Opposition parties will fight the 2024 Lok Sabha elections together. Another meeting will be held in Shimla to chalk out details of the plan of action. Details including details of seat-sharing and party-wise split will be finalised in the Shimla meeting,’ said Nitish after the first meeting of the Opposition grouping in Patna convened by him.

July 26, 2023: ‘There seems to be no sign of an end to the violence in Manipur. In such a scenario it is justified for the Opposition to demand the Prime Minister’s statement on the issue. People, especially the women in the state, are suffering due to the violence. The attack on women in Manipur is shocking and disturbing. Can you imagine the brutality faced by women in Manipur? They were paraded naked. Such incidents are highly condemnable. The Prime Minister must issue a statement in Parliament,’ said Nitish while supporting the Opposition’s demand for a statement by PM Modi on the Manipur violence in Parliament.

August 11, 2023: ‘In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP will be finished from Bihar and that is