Nitish Backs Modi for Third Term Amid Speculation Over Alliance Stability

Patna: Speculations surrounding the widely circulated flight photographs of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and opposition leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav were put to rest by Wednesday evening. Kumar attended a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting in Delhi, where he signed a resolution supporting Narendra Modi for a third term as Prime Minister.

The meeting was attended by 21 leaders from 16 parties. Sources indicate that NDA MPs are scheduled to meet on June 7. Following this meeting, they will visit the President between 5 and 7 pm to stake their claim to form the government.

Senior BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, and JP Nadda have been tasked with holding one-on-one discussions with all allies to finalize the new government’s structure. In the meantime, President Draupadi Murmu dissolved the Lok Sabha after PM Modi’s resignation and his recommendation to dissolve the cabinet.

The BJP secured 240 seats in the recent Lok Sabha elections, falling 32 seats short of the majority mark of 272. However, the NDA surpassed the majority threshold with a total of 292 seats.

Within the alliance, Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP) emerged as the second largest party with 16 seats, and Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) secured 12 seats, making it the third largest party. Both parties hold significant influence, making their support crucial for the BJP to form the government.