'Aaya Ram-Gaya Ram': Congress Prez Reacts After Nitish Breaks Away From 'Mahagathbandhan'

In a first reaction to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's decision to break away from the 'Mahagathbandhan', Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that he knew it would happen.

"There are many people in the country like 'Aaya Ram-Gaya Ram'," Kharge said. "Earlier he and us were fighting together. When I talked to Lalu Ji and Tejashwi, they also said that Nitish is going. If he wanted to stay, he would have stayed but he wants to go. That's why we already knew this, but to keep the India Alliance intact, if we say something wrong, the wrong message will be sent. This information was already given to us by Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav. Today that came true. There are many people in the country like 'Aaya Ram-Gaya Ram'," ANI quoted Kharge as saying.

Ending days of suspense, Nitish on Sunday submitted his resignation to Governor Rajendra Arlekar.

In the Bihar Assembly comprising 243 members, the RJD holds the lead with 79 MLAs, closely followed by the BJP at 78, JD(U) at 45, Congress at 19, the CPI (M-L) at 12, and both CPI(M) and CPI at 2 each. The Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) secures 4 seats, while the AIMIM and an Independent hold two seats each.

The state's political landscape was set in motion by a social media post from Rohini Acharya, daughter of former CM and RJD chief Lalu Yadav, where she critiqued the JD(U) for its shifting ideology despite portraying itself as a 'socialist party' committed to progressiveness.

Against the backdrop of the unfolding political saga in Bihar, the Bharatiya Janata Party conducted a legislative party meeting at its office in Patna. On the other hand, the RJD took center stage by publishing a full-page advertisement in prominent state newspapers, sidelining Janata Dal (United) supremo and showcasing Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav.

Within the extensive advertisement featuring only a magnified image of Tejashwi, the RJD expressed gratitude to the deputy CM for various developmental initiatives, ranging from providing over 4 lakh government jobs to enhancing the state's tourism potential.