Nitish Kumar likely to take oath as JD(U)-BJP government's Chief Minister on Jan 28

Nitish Kumar is likely to take oath as the Chief Minister of Janata Dal (United) and the BJP government in Bihar on January 28, as per sources. BJP veteran Sushil Modi is likely to be the new deputy minister.

Commenting on the development, Sushil Modi said that the "doors which are closed can open", calling politics a "game of possibilities". He, however, declined to speak further on the issue.

Meanwhile, the RJD chief has sought clarity from Nitish Kumar and asked him to do so by this evening. Top BJP sources told India Today TV that the party's leadership has passed down orders to the Patna unit that there should be no haste in proposing a formula for government formation in Bihar. Sources said a decision was likely after a two-day executive meeting, in the presence of BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde, starting tomorrow. He is expected to arrive in Patna on Saturday.

The development came amid political turmoil in Bihar with tension in the current alliance of JD(U) and Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). The tension that has been simmering for a while now, reached its crescendo this week when socialist icon Karpoori Thakur was conferred with the Bharat Ratna by the BJP-led Centre.

Furthermore, Nitish Kumar's 'parivarvaad' remark was met with a scathing response from Lalu Yadav's daughter Rohini Acharya in a now-deleted tweet.

Congress sources have also stated that they are monitoring the situation. They, however, added that Nitish Kumar shifting gears back to the BJP won't be easy, showing scepticism regarding Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) supremo Chirag Paswan and Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal's chief Upender Kushwaha. "Moreover, this time, Assembly speaker is from our side (RJD)," the Congress sources said.

Upendra Kushwaha had floated his own party - Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal - breaking away from the JD(U) in February last year. At the time of the announcement, Kushwaha said that the party would take forward the "legacy of Karpoori Thakur" and work towards "rejecting the agreement made with RJD".

Speaking on the Bihar political crisis, Upendra Kushwaha said that while it's true that Nitish Kumar is "very upset" about where he is, if an alliance with the BJP is formed, then it is to be seen if the JD(U) will stick with the saffron party even after the Lok Sabha polls.

"Right now there is constant discussion that (Nitish Kumar) will again join the NDA alliance. It is true that Nitish ji is very upset where he is, that is why he wants to leave from there. ..If we come into alliance with BJP, then whether we will remain together after the Lok Sabha elections or not is also a big question..."

Meanwhile, news agency ANI, citing party sources reported on Friday that Chirag Paswan postponed all his programmes pertaining to the Republic Day amid political turmoil in Bihar. The LJP also took to X to say that an important meeting was held with the party's national and state officials under the leadership of Chirag Paswan.

Earlier in the day, sources informed India Today that a decision on Nitish Kumar moving back to the BJP-led NDA is expected within the next two to three days. The cabinet distribution from the previous JD(U)-BJP government will be replicated, as per sources.

Nitish Kumar, sources said, is unhappy with both his current coalition partner, Lalu Yadav's RJD, and the INDIA bloc member, Congress. He has also been offended by Rohini Acharya's tweet.

The JD(U) veteran is reportedly disgruntled over failed seat sharing talks in the INDIA bloc in Bihar and other states where regional parties have joined the alliance. Nitish Kumar also believes that with Lok Sabha polls approaching, Congress's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' led by Rahul Gandhi has been undertaken solely for the benefit of the grand old party and not the Opposition-backed INDIA alliance.