Nitish Kumar is perhaps the most interesting character of Indian politics. Nobody really knows what he aims for and how can he change the track in a flash. His latest act of dumping Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD and taking oath as the chief minister the next day with the BJP's support confirms the uniqueness of the politician in Kumar. The man says that he doesn't want to become the prime minister or shows his no-compromise stance on issues like communalism or corruption but at the end of the day, he gives a damn to things that disturb his personal ambitions.
Kumar said after resigning that he took the step because his conscience pricked him. And then the man took the support of the same BJP which he had dumped a year ahead of the 2014 general elections, also perhaps because he was uneasy with the moral battle between communalism and secularism.
Nitish Kumar's conscience: Does it change as per the situation?
We will be eager to know what exactly Nitish Kumar's conscience stands for? Is it against communal politics or against corruption? Is it anti-Narendra Modi or anti-Rahul Gandhi? It seems the JD(U) chief has several layers of conscience, some even opposed to each other, and it will require a skilled psychiatrist to help us fathom the politician's thought process.
Just a few hours after, Nitish Kumar changes camps
Apparently, however, Nitish Kumar is an opportunist. On Wednesday (July 26) night, he gave the impression that he doesn't care for power if it really comes down to safeguarding his own image. But on Thursday (July 27), Kumar did not waste much time to take oath as the CM with the BJP's backing, reversing the message he gave last night. Now, Nitish Kumar is all for power no matter who is his ally. Given his past records, the man should have gone for a fresh election and not just turn the coat.
Is Nitish Kumar still a reliable leader?
Lalu Prasad Yadav had lost his place in people's eye a long time ago but the way Nitish Kumar covered his journey over the last few years, one would find him little better as a leader of reliability. He has not just lost his face but even his value as an alternative leader to PM Narendra Modi has been neutralised. And it was worse to see him thanking Modi from the "bottom of his heart" after the latter welcomed the latest drama in Bihar.
The way Kumar undid all his past antagonism vis-a-vis BJP (we still remember how he had cancelled a dinner party for the BJP after a photo of him holding hands with Modi, the chief minister of Gujarat then, got huge publicity or when he had refused to accept relief from the Gujarat government for floods in Bihar) is something that amazes us to no end. Was there such a compelling reason that Kumar had to give in? But even then, Kumar could have gone down fighting.
He didn't.
