Reading the tea leaves in Bihar amid political pulls and pressures

Separated by age, experience and politics, yet joined by a shared purpose: taking on BJP in 2024. Satyavrat Mishra analyses the political pulls and pressures in the state

On a cold December 13 evening, when Bihar Chief (CM) Minister Nitish Kumar invited the Mahagathbandhan (MGB) Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) for a meeting, most leaders had one question on their mind. A day earlier in Nalanda, the Bihar CM had said he would take his deputy and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav ‘even further’, vaguely indicating a change.

However, they never got to ask for clarification. At the meeting, Nitish announced the beginning of the end of his term as CM of Bihar. “I am neither the prime ministerial candidate nor the CM candidate. My goal