Kathmandu: Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar submitted his resignation as the Chief Minister of Bihar on Sunday morning to Governor Rajendra Arlekar. Indian media outlets speculate that Kumar, having abandoned the previous coalition, is now considering forming a new government in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The resignation, accepted by the Governor, was reported by the Press Trust of India (PTI). Speaking to journalists after stepping down, Nitish Kumar stated, “We have been working in the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ coalition with the name ‘India’ for the past few years, but things haven’t gone as planned. Now, we are going to form a new coalition. Why has this situation arisen? Because everything wasn’t going smoothly… I have listened to everyone’s opinions, and after thoughtful consideration, I have decided to dissolve the government today.”

Nitish Kumar had been criticized for frequently changing alliances and breaking coalitions for political convenience. In 2017, he left the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ alliance, claiming it was in the interest of the people. However, just two years later, he severed ties with the BJP and formed a coalition with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Allegations of flip-flopping have persisted, and there is ongoing speculation about potential collaboration with the BJP again.

The Bihar Legislative Assembly, with 243 members, currently has the Rashtriya Janata Dal as the largest party with 73 MLAs, followed by the BJP with 45. Nitish Kumar’s party is in the third position with 45 members. Even though the RJD has the most seats, forming a government would require a significant majority. In the November 2020 assembly elections, Nitish Kumar allied with the RJD and the BJP, subsequently becoming Chief Minister consecutively.