Clouds of Crisis Over NDA Government: Disputes Arise from Nitish Kumar’s Daily New Demands in Exchange for PM Modi’s Support

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has been making new demands every day in exchange for supporting the central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. For a long time, CM Nitish Kumar and his party have been advocating for special status for the state. 

However, recent regulations made it impossible to grant such status to states like Bihar. In this situation, the Modi government opened the treasury for Bihar in the 2024 Union Budget. The budget announced nearly ₹64,000 crores for development works and flood control in Bihar.

This announcement from the central government brought great satisfaction to Nitish Kumar, as his long-standing demand was met. 

However, in the past week, there has been a major political twist. Nitish Kumar, who has become the face of socialism in Bihar, is now presenting new demands to the central government. These demands have put the central government in a difficult situation.

Supreme Court Delivers a Blow

On Monday, the Supreme Court dealt a significant blow to the Bihar government. Last year, the state government had increased the reservation limit from 50% to 65% based on a caste-based survey report. At that time, Nitish Kumar was the Chief Minister of Bihar with the support of RJD. 

He had initiated the formation of the I.N.D.I.A alliance at the national level and supported raising the OBC reservation limit nationally. In line with this, he secured legislative approval for the decision to first conduct a caste survey in Bihar and then increase the reservation limit to 65%. The Bihar BJP also supported this decision.

However, the Nitish government’s decision was challenged in the Patna High Court, which overturned it. The Bihar government then appealed the High Court’s decision in the Supreme Court, which on Monday refused to stay the High Court’s ruling.

The issue has now become political. The opposition RJD is attacking Nitish Kumar over this. Implementing this decision has become crucial for Nitish’s political career. In this situation, there is only one option left: the Bihar government’s decision should be placed under the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution by the central government. 

Nitish Kumar and his party have also formally requested the central government to do so. Recently, Nitish Kumar even suggested raising this request with PM Modi in the Bihar Legislative Assembly.

What is the Ninth Schedule?

The Ninth Schedule of the Constitution of India contains a list of laws and regulations that are protected from judicial review. This means that any issue included in the Ninth Schedule cannot be challenged in court. Currently, there are 284 items included in this schedule.

JDU’s national spokesperson, KC Tyagi, has stated that the options available at this time are very limited. The central government should consider their demand. On the question of pressuring the central government, he mentioned that they do not believe in the politics of pressure. Issues need to be viewed in a broader context. 

The discussion around reservations has been re-evaluated in light of the implementation of the EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) quota.

Why This Issue is Crucial for Nitish Kumar

For CM Nitish Kumar, the issue is of significant importance as his entire political career has been centered around OBC (Other Backward Classes) and EBC (Economically Backward Classes) interests. 

For the past 34 years, Bihar has been governed predominantly by socialist leaders, first under Lalu Yadav and then under Nitish Kumar. Following the caste survey, Nitish Kumar has aimed to give a new direction to OBC and EBC politics in the state.

However, the matter has now become entangled in legal complexities. By raising this new demand with the central government, Nitish Kumar has put the central government in a difficult position. This move is crucial for Nitish as it aligns with his political strategy and could influence his standing among his support base.

Central Government in a Dilemma

Nitish Kumar’s demand has put the central government in a difficult position. At the national level, the I.N.D.I.A alliance is focusing on caste politics in opposition to BJP’s religious politics. 

Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has raised the issue of representation in Parliament, highlighting that out of 20 senior officials preparing the budget, only one is from the OBC and one from a minority community. His statement has gained significant traction.

The Modi government is now in a position where it must clarify its stance. If the government does not agree to Nitish Kumar’s demand, it may face accusations of being anti-OBC. The Congress and the I.N.D.I.A alliance could turn this into a political issue, further complicating the situation for the central government.