Nitish Kumar can be called the biggest Bazigar of Indian politics. Despite never getting the majority on his own, he has managed to remain chief minister of Bihar for almost 20 years, except for a few months in between. And he is still jockeying for the next term when his popularity is at an all-time low and the party is in shambles.

He is not keeping good health, either. It requires a brilliant political mind and opportunism of the highest order to juggle two parties with contrasting ideologies effortlessly. He has successfully played with the BJP and RJD; both parties hate each other. But both are comfortable in his company and let him exploit them.

But this time, Nitish Kumar might be in serious trouble. This time, the BJP is going to call his bluff and show him the door if he insists more on the chief minister’s chair.

The assembly elections are almost six months away. But all three political parties have started preparations. Enough hints are being thrown about future alliances and relationships. Nitish Kumar knows that the BJP may not oblige him with the top chair in the state and may like to have its own man in Bihar like Delhi and Odisha, where it has managed to install its governments.

Bihar is the only Hindi-speaking state where the BJP has not been able to form a government on its own. Till now, it has played second fiddle to Nitish Kumar. In 2020, surprisingly, the BJP did not bargain for the chief ministership despite having 2/3rd more seats in the assembly.

The BJP had 74 assembly seats, and Nitish Kumar’s party, the JDU, had only 43. It was also rumoured then, during........

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