The power shifted in Bihar when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar resigned from the post and its effect would be seen in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP will gain tremendously after joining JD(U)’s Nitish Kumar, the Indian Express reported. However, it is bad news for the Opposition which has already been struggling to work at the national level against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Nitish Kumar has been considered the best contender against Modi because of his stance against political corruption or nepotism but this move would only help the BJP, the report said. Nitish is popular among the non-Yadav OBCs and poor sections in the state and BJP would get an added advantage over them. According to IE, this coupled with Modi’s decision to choose President Ram Nath Kovind, who is a Dalit, gives the party influence over the backward sections.

The BJP-Nitish alliance is a social alliance of upper castes and non-Yadav OBCs, much like Lalu Prasad’s Muslim-Yadav alliance. With this alliance, BJP might have a better chance at winning the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, IE said. The Opposition, on the other hand, may lose public trust and credibility after the end of the grand alliance.

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The alliance of the SP-BSP-Congress in Uttar Pradesh is also on tenterhooks. The Hindi heartlands UP and Bihar may hold the key to unlocking the 2019 elections. Nitish Kumar’s switch will help NDA secure Bihar, the report said. BJP has already formed the state government in UP with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. While it is a win for the BJP, Nitish Kumar also gets to hold the position of the Chief Minister after the swearing in today. This may encourage the fence-sitters to join the BJP before 2019.