PATNA, July 27 - Nitish Kumar once again took over as Chief Minister of Bihar with BJP�s support today, leaving the Opposition unity in tatters and raising questions over its ability to counter the saffron party in the 2019 general elections.
A little more than 12 hours after 66-year-old Kumar resigned to break ranks with his allies � Lalu Yadav�s RJD and Congress � he was back in office after being sworn in by Bihar Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi at the Raj Bhawan. Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister.
The deft political manoeuvres by Janata Dal (United) chief left the Opposition stunned as he joined hands with friend-turned-foe-turned-friend BJP. The two parties were in alliance for 17 years until 2013, when Kumar walked out of the NDA fold after Narendra Modi was made the BJP�s campaign committee chairman for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Modi was later declared the prime ministerial candidate.
However, Kumar, who was seen by the Opposition as a possible answer to Modi in 2019 amid shrinking Congress clout, seemed to have accepted the popular thinking that the Modi wave would continue even after two years. The Governor has asked Kumar to prove his majority on the floor of the House tomorrow.
�Whatever decision we have taken will be in the interest of Bihar and of its people. It will ensure development and justice,� Kumar said after the swearing in. � PTI
