Days after Nitish Kumar severed ties with the BJP in Bihar and formed a government with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), 5 MLAs of the Janata Dal United (JDU) joined hands with the saffron party on Friday (September 2).
The development came a day before the National Executive meeting of the JD(U) and has dented the ambitious plans of the Bihar CM to become the 2024 Prime Ministerial candidate for the ‘united opposition.’
It has come as a major jolt to JD(U) and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s ambition to become the opposition’s prime ministerial candidate for the 2024 polls.
— TOI Patna (@TOIPatna) September 2, 2022
The Janata Dal United had 6 MLAs in the 60-member Manipur Vidhan Sabha. In a late-night drama, 5 of them merged with the BJP government in the State, which is led by CM N Biren Singh.
The MLas include Khumukcham Joykisan Singh (Thangmeiband), Mohammed Achab Uddin (Jiribam), Thangjam Arunkumar (Wangkhei), Ngursanglur Sanate (Tipaimukh), and L.M. Khaute (Churachandpur). Only 1 MLA, namely, Mohammed Nasir from the Lilong constituency, did not join the saffron party.
In a bulletin, Manipur Vidhan Sabha Secretary K. Meghajit Singh informed that Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh has accepted the merger of JD(U) with the BJP under the 10th Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
Breaking: In midnight drama in Manipur, JD(U), which has 5 MLAs in the state, merges with the BJP. It’s a setback for Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. pic.twitter.com/WY7CC9LUnb
— Rajgopal (@rajgopal88) September 2, 2022
The 10th schedule [pdf] of the Indian Constitution states “no member will be disqualified from the membership of the House where she/he makes a claim that she/he and any other members of her/his legislature party constitute a group representing a faction which has arisen as a result of a split in her/his original political party and such group consists of not less than one-third members of the legislature party concerned.”
The Opposition has cried foul over the political development that transpired in Manipur on September 2. Congress leader Ningombam Bupenda Meitei tweeted, “There will be a move to the High Court to disqualify them. Save the Constitution, Save Democracy.”
5 @Jduonline MLAs out of 6 JD(U) MLAs from Manipur merging with @BJP4India is not only unconstitutional, but the act also attracts disqualification under the Constitution of India.
— Ningombam Bupenda Meitei (@BupendaMeitei) September 2, 2022
There will be a move to High Court to disqualify them.
Save Constitution, Save Democracy. pic.twitter.com/NfCftRzKtQ
Nitish first formed an alliance with BJP in 2005 and won elections. He won the 2010 elections also in alliance with the BJP. In 2013 he snapped ties with BJP. In 2015, he joined hands with RJD and contested elections and formed a government.
However, in 2017, the alliance broke and he formed government again with BJP alliance. He then contested 2020 elections in Bihar with JDU-BJP alliance and won and now, 2 years later, he again decided to break alliance with BJP and will likely form government with the RJD.
