Nitish Kumar has switched sides yet again. He rejoined the NDA and was sworn in as Bihar Chief Minister for the ninth time.
With that, the Opposition has lost one of the key founding members of the INDIA alliance. Several leaders, from the Congress, Sharad Pawar (NCP), Shiv Sena (led by Uddhav Thackeray) have stated that his departure will have no impact on the alliance. Congress’s Jairam Ramesh said, “this is all typical of Nitish Kumar.”
The latest moves by the BJP has blunted the opposition’s social justice plank. Post the Ram Mandir inauguration, the BJP would be sensing the consolidation of the Hindu votes in their favour. The Opposition’s counter was to talk about social justice and caste mobilisation.
Justice or nyay has been the theme of the second edition of the Congress’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, from east to the west of India. The Congress’s relations with the Trinamool Congress in Bengal and the AAP in Punjab seem to have fallen apart. Seat-sharing in the INDIA alliance is yet to be decided, though the party has made progress with the DMK and the SP, for instance.
Was the timing of the yatra right? What does the Congress stand to gain from the yatra?
Script and presentation: Sandeep Phukan
Videography and production: Richard Kujur
