Nitish Kumar

Mandal revealed that Kumar has been subjected to abuse within the alliance, but he also cautioned that if the Chief Minister decides to switch alliances again, it could lead to his political downfall.

Kushwaha emphasized that there is no truth to the rumors circulating, including claims that party MLAs were instructed to rush to Patna.

Security at the Chief Minister's residence in Patna has been heightened, and there are indications that Kumar might make a decision to join forces with the BJP. The strained relationship between Kumar and his ally Lalu Prasad Yadav from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) adds complexity to the political dynamics in Bihar.

During the session, tensions were evident as CM Nitish Kumar and RJD ministers refrained from interacting with each other.

Fueling the speculation is the fact that while Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi Yadav, Choudhary, and Arlekar were together at an event commemorating Subhas Chandra Bose's birth anniversary, Nitish and Choudhary later visited the Raj Bhavan without Tejashwi.

Mandal's remarks came in response to Jitan Ram Manjhi, the former chief minister of Bihar, who had earlier commented on Nitish Kumar's reliability. Manjhi had suggested that Kumar might shift political allegiances unpredictably, potentially reuniting with the BJP.

In response to the proposal, Nitish Kumar supported the idea, stating, "This is right. Make Lalu Ji the chairperson." However, Lalu Prasad Yadav remained silent, prompting Rahul Gandhi to reintroduce Nitish Kumar's name.

Responding to queries about the seat-sharing formula for the upcoming Lok Sabha election, Nitish Kumar stated, "Don't worry about it. The seat-sharing formula will be finalized at the right time. It will happen soon."

The focus of the discussions centered on the seat-sharing formula for the INDIA bloc in Bihar. Raja expressed confidence in reaching a final agreement with alliance partners, paving the way for ticket distribution to candidates for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Despite Nitish Kumar's repeated statements expressing his lack of aspiration for any post within the INDIA bloc, sources suggest that he harbors discontent towards Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav for not projecting him as the convener of the Opposition's alliance during the fourth meeting held in New Delhi on December 19.