BJP poised to govern Bihar without JD(U); What’s next for Nitish Kumar?

Patna: The results of the Bihar Assembly elections are due shortly. Trends indicate that the NDA is poised to once again capture power in Bihar by winning over 200 seats. This time, the BJP appears to be winning with a record number of seats. The equations emerging based on the trends are both interesting and surprising. The BJP is poised to become the largest party in the state. If current trends are considered a baseline, and if these trends hold, the BJP could form government in the state even without JDU. This means the BJP will not need Nitish Kumar to form a government. It can form a government by excluding JDU and joining forces with other NDA allies. Looking at the latest trends, the NDA is poised for a historic victory with 202 seats at the time of writing. Of these 202 seats, the BJP alone is projected to win 92, while the JDU could win 82. The latest trends show the other NDA allies, the LJP-R, winning 21 seats, the HAM (5 seats), and the RLM (4 seats). This suggests new political equations are emerging. Even if the BJP abandons Nitish Kumar's JDU, it could form a government. With its 92 seats, the BJP, along with the LJP-R (21 seats), the HAM (5 seats), and the RLM (4 seats), could form a government without the JDU. Excluding the JDU and other allies, the BJP has a total of 122 seats, a figure close to an absolute majority. These equations are based on trends. The election results are not yet known, so there is every possibility of fluctuations in the number of seats. Now the biggest question is: what will Nitish Kumar do if the BJP forms a government in Bihar, excluding the JDU and joining forces with other allies? Although the BJP and the NDA have repeatedly announced that Nitish Kumar will be the Chief Minister of Bihar, as is often said, nothing is permanent in politics, and political possibilities always remain. The question posed by this new equation could also give rise to a new possibility.