The Modi-Nitish meet might throw up surprises

With the Presidential elections looming large, this is a season of furious speculations. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s lunch date with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday has fuelled rumours that the prospect of a united opposition railing against the BJP might prove to be a chimera. Kumar had skipped an engagement with Opposition leaders, organised by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, citing work, to discuss some pressing issues with the PM.

It is well known in the corridors of power that the RJD-JD(U) alliance in Bihar has hit a rough patch with the latter bearing the brunt of Lalu Prasad’s alleged proximity with unsavoury characters, chief among them being the murder accused and former MP Mohammad Shahabuddin. Lalu’s purported conversation with the Bihar strongman was aired on national television, leaving the CM shame-faced and deeply uncomfortable. This was just one of the many instances revealing the uneasy relationship between the alliance partners. On several occasions, it has been found that Lalu’s RJD — reduced to a family enterprise — and Nitish’s JD(U) aren’t on the same page when it comes to governance.

Additionally, Nitish might have felt that his clean image had taken a beating because of his political compulsions that had necessitated the forging of an alliance. He now sees a window of hope in Modi. An astute politician like Nitish knows that this the best time to hop on to the Modi bandwagon. The stage is set, the timing is right, and a switchover seems imminent.