'Like Aaya Ram-Gaya Ram': Congress Prez Mallikarjun Kharge on Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's exit

After Nitish handed over his resignation to Bihar Governor Rajendra Arlekar on Sunday, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge slammed Nitish Kumar for deserting the alliance and used the Hindi phrase 'Aaya Ram-Gaya Ram' to criticise his capricious behaviour.

Kharge said he knew that this was going to happen as RJD president Lalu Yadav and chairman Tejashwi Yadav had already informed him that Nitish was going to leave. “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,” Kharge was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The coalition’s only party with a national presence, Congress, is looking to reach an understanding for seat sharing in states to ensure a respectable finish in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections while making up for its lost grip in regional politics.

Nitish Kumar had been unhappy with Congress’s attitude and accused it of assuming a "big brother" role in the alliance and causing delays in the discussions about seat-sharing. Nitish Kumar had hoped to be chosen as the leader of the opposition alliance. However, the allies opted for Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge for the role after Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal proposed his name.

Congress, which had elected Mallikarjun Kharge as its president, has been pitching Rahul Gandhi against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Congress has a clear motive for joining the alliance—it aspires to take the lead and see one of its own, ideally Rahul Gandhi, become the Prime Minister, provided the INDIA bloc secures a majority in the Lok Sabha polls.

Meanwhile, Janata Dal (United) national president Nitish Kumar arrived at the Raj Bhavan in Patna and submitted his resignation to Governor Rajendra Arlekar on Sunday.

Nitish had been also unhappy with RJD’s behaviour. The rift apparently widened after he realised his aspirations would not materialise in the INDIA bloc.

While addressing a party event on Wednesday to mark the birth centenary of former Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur, he obliquely slammed RJD Chief Lalu Prasad for promoting his sons in politics.

According to media reports, Lalu Yadav’s daughter Rohini Acharya’s retaliatory comments on Nitish Kumar added fuel to the fire.

Rohini Acharya attacked Kumar on X, where she dubbed him a leader of no principle. She also indirectly targeted Kumar’s son saying he was not suitable for a career in public life.

On Sunday, the RJD published a full-page advertisement in prominent state newspapers, sidelining the Janata Dal (United) leader and projecting Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav.

As Nitish shifts alliance and forms government with the BJP-led NDA, Tejashwi Yadav’s stint as the Deputy Chief Minister also comes to an end.

In the full-page advertisement featuring only an imposing image of Tejashwi, the RJD expressed gratitude to the deputy CM for numerous development initiatives, including the creation of over 4 lakh government jobs and the improvement of the state's tourism prospects.

In the Bihar Assembly of 243, the RJD has 79 MLAs; followed by the BJP at 78; JD(U) at 45, Congress at 19, the CPI (M-L) at 12, CPI(M) and CPI at 2 each, and the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular)'s at 4. Another two seats are with the AIMIM and an Independent.