oppn parties Bihar: BJP Adheres To Coalition Dharma

Story Of The Day

Tiranga Rally Is Excellent. Breaking The Law Was Not

October 17, 2026

People Are Talking About

People Are Talking About Junk Food Near Schools

News Snippets

  • Allahabad HC said that the UP Police is acting as law unto themselves as they detained a person unlawfully even before his arrest
  • Kolkata witnesses traffic snarls on the first day of the Durga Puja festival as revellers start pnadal-hopping
  • Neha Bora was subsequently released and Dipke is to appear before a magistrate today at noon
  • Delhi Police detained Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke, Neha Bora of AISA, student leaders and supporters ahead of a rally in Connaught Place demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. The protest followed the detention and jailing of two CJP leaders earlier in the week over demonstrations at Jantar Mantar
  • The Reserve Bank of India is considering further monetary tightening to counter capital outflows and increase the cost of betting against the rupee, according to bankers and analysts cited by Reuters. The measures follow recent rate increases and steps to drain liquidity as pressure on the currency and inflation concerns persist
  • India directed oil marketing companies to stop diverting sugar-based feedstocks for ethanol production in the 2026–27 supply year, according to a new tender issued on Friday. The companies have invited bids for 11 billion litres of ethanol made from alternatives including corn and broken rice, amid concerns about domestic sugar supplies and prices
  • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India's trade imbalance with China was growing sharply and attributed the problem partly to restrictions on Indian goods and services entering the Chinese market. China subsequently said it was ready to work with India to address mutual economic and trade concerns; India's trade deficit with China reached $69 billion in the first half of FY2026–27, up 27% year-on-year
  • Indian equity benchmarks extended their recovery on Friday, with the Sensex rising 413.66 points to close at 74,729.27 and the Nifty 50 gaining 148.80 points to settle at 23,146.15. Information technology shares, including Tech Mahindra, Infosys and TCS, helped lift the indices
  • India defeated Zimbabwe by four wickets in the opening women's T20 International in Raipur, taking a 1–0 lead in the three-match series. Deepti Sharma and Niki Prasad combined in an 82-run stand after India's top order collapsed, helping the hosts chase down Zimbabwe's total of 114 for five
  • Indian wrestler Komal won bronze in the women's 59 kg category at the Under-23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, defeating Kazakhstan's Viktoriia Khusainova 7–2. Fellow Indian Amruta Pujari advanced to the women's 72 kg final after recording two pinfall victories
  • Indian shuttler Jagsher Singh Khangurra secured a bronze medal at the BWF World Junior Badminton Championships in Cairo
  • The Supreme Court of India upheld the Bombay High Court's decision quashing the 2020 write-off of ₹8,415 crore in additional tier-1 bonds issued by Yes Bank (Yes Bank). The court ruled that the bank's administrator lacked the authority to extinguish the bonds under the final reconstruction scheme, strengthening bondholders' claims
  • The Supreme Court issued notices to the Election Commission of India, Delhi Police and opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, in separate petitions concerning electoral-roll revision and protests held in Delhi on October 10–12. The court also directed the preservation of CCTV footage linked to allegations of police excesses
  • The Supreme Court ruled that a person converting from Hinduism to Islam cannot automatically claim backward-class reservation benefits in the new religious community solely on the basis of their previous caste status. The judgment upheld the Madras High Court's decision striking down a 2024 Tamil Nadu government order that permitted such certification for specified communities
  • The Election Commission of India ordered a Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls in 14 states and three Union Territories, using January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date for voter eligibility. The draft rolls are scheduled for publication on November 12, claims and objections will be accepted until December 11, and the final rolls are due on January 4, 2027
Delhi HC refuses to ban CJP's Tiranga rally at Central Park in Connaught Place today /////// Police says will control and regulate it /////// NDMC closes the park for the public on Friday and Saturday
oppn parties
Bihar: BJP Adheres To Coalition Dharma

By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2020-11-16 13:28:35

About the Author

Sunil Garodia Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator. Author of Cyber Scams in India, Digital Arrest, The Money Trap and The Human Hack

The BJP has learnt its lessons well. Despite getting many more seats than the JD(U) in the recent Bihar elections, the NDA legislature alliance in the state unanimously elected Nitish Kumar as its leader. Kumar is now set to become the chief minister of the state for the fourth time. After its bitter experience with the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, when the regional party left the NDA to seal an alliance with the NCP and the Congress to form the government because it said that the BJP was reneging on a pre-poll understanding of giving the chief ministership to Uddhav Thackeray by rotation, the BJP has realized that pre-poll agreements and commitments have to be honoured to keep alliances going. Hence, despite becoming the senior partner by winning a bigger number of seats, it has adhered to the coalition dharma by making Nitish Kumar the chief minister as promised.

But Nitish will have two deputies from the BJP breathing down his neck. Also, the BJP is likely to corner most important portfolios and reduce the role of JD(U) legislators in the government. Further, despite their four seats each, both HAM and VIP will have to be given important portfolios to keep them in good humour as their continued backing are very important for the alliance. Since the LJP has done well in pockets, the NDA would do well to bring it back in the fold. But given the fact that it caused losses for the JD(U), it is doubtful whether Nitish will allow that.

The best thing that the BJP has done is to shift senior state leader and deputy chief minister in the outgoing government, Sushil Modi, to the Centre. With the excellent performance of the state unit, Modi might have had ambitions to succeed Nitish as the chief minister. But by making him a minister at the Centre, the party high command has nipped the chances of a revolt in the state unit in the bud. The BJP now needs to build on the excellent performance in the recent polls and make the party capable enough of winning on its own in state elections. Although it is a difficult task given the states' caste-ridden politics, the party can do its calculations and reduce its dependence on regional outfits. But that is only possible if the newly elected government runs smoothly and the BJP has its ministers in key portfolios. Despite his repeated statements that Nitish will be chief minister if NDA wins, Sushil Modi could have created problems for Nitish. His elevation to the Central ministry is a good move.

But since the margin of victory was very thin, the new government will have to work overtime to regain the trust of the people and fight the anti-incumbency. Nitish Kumar made many mistakes in the last few years, especially during the pandemic period. The major grievance of the people, as expressed in the various media surveys, is that there are not enough jobs. The new government will have to make Bihar an investor-friendly destination and invite industries. It will have to build infrastructure and ensure that the migrant workers who wish to remain close to their families get jobs in the state. There is enough potential in Bihar - land is available and there are natural and human resources in abundance. The need is for a proactive government. Nitish 4.0, actively backed by the BJP, should focus on industrialization to fulfill the aspirations of the youth.

 

Other Stories You Make Like

Editorials

Growth Without Jobs Is a Warning

Growth Without Jobs Is a Warning

 Delhi Curbs: Has The Government Panicked?

Delhi Curbs: Has The Government Panicked?

In Depth

Grounds Of Arrest: The Supreme Court's Rule Must Be Followed By The Police On The Ground

Grounds Of Arrest: The Supreme Court's Rule Must Be Followed By The Police On The Ground

Editor's Pick

For the Goonj to Reverberate, Rahul Gandhi Must Take Regional Parties Along

For the Goonj to Reverberate, Rahul Gandhi Must Take Regional Parties Along
© 2014 India Commentary. All rights reserved.