Message from Bihar to INDIA

The primary impulse that drives Kumar’s politics is the pursuit of power. The present switch in alliances may well be a desire to stay in office in Patna beyond 2025 — the understanding with the RJD was that Kumar would make way for Tejashwi Yadav as the leader of the Mahagathbandhan, the RJD-JD(U)-Congress-Left alliance, thereafter. His claim to be the face of the INDIA bloc, which he mooted to take on Prime Minister Modi, didn’t find backers. That left Kumar with few options to stay politically relevant. The realignment of political forces in Bihar is a big boost for the NDA’s prospects. It expands the ruling alliance’s electoral influence in a state that sends 40 MPs to the Lok Sabha, taking it closer to a majority in the Rajya Sabha. More importantly, Kumar’s actions discredit the INDIA bloc, underline its fragility, and undermine the claims of its ability to form a stable government.

Kumar represents the tragedy of the Opposition and the reality of the INDIA bloc. Recent events suggest that the latter is nothing but an inchoate group of self-serving regional chieftains, whose sole consideration is furthering their own prospects. The Congress lacks the imagination, leadership or political savvy to hold them together; many of them are offshoots of the Congress and fear that the party’s resurgence would undermine their influence. Kumar’s exit and recent actions of parties such as the TMC and AAP raise the question on whether INDIA can be a competent Opposition, forget being a challenger to the Modi juggernaut.