'Thank God Nitish Kumar left in time': Sonia Gandhi counters Digvijaya Singh at CWC meeting

A reported disagreement over Nitish Kumar’s exit from the INDIA bloc surfaced at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Tuesday, with senior leader Digvijaya Singh questioning whether the JD(U) chief should have been allowed to leave the Opposition alliance.

Sonia Gandhi offered a different assessment, saying Kumar’s departure was not unexpected and that he had been looking for a way out, according to Congress sources.

Singh says alliance could have been different

Singh reportedly told the CWC that the political situation could have taken a different turn had Kumar remained part of the INDIA bloc.

“We should not have allowed Kumar to leave the INDIA bloc. Had he stayed, the political situation would have been different," Singh said, according to sources.

Gandhi disagreed with the assessment and said Kumar had been seeking an exit from the alliance.

“Thank God Nitish Kumar left in time. He was always meant to go there. He was constantly looking for new ways to exit the INDIA bloc," Gandhi said, according to sources. She also alleged that Kumar was being controlled by the BJP.

Kumar’s ties with Congress changed repeatedly

Kumar’s political relationship with the Congress has shifted several times over the past decade.

In 2015, he formed the Mahagathbandhan government in Bihar with the RJD and Congress. Two years later, he left the alliance and returned to the BJP-led NDA.

In August 2022, Kumar again broke with the BJP and formed a government with the RJD, Congress and Left parties. His return to the Opposition camp also gave him a prominent role in efforts to bring various parties together.

Kumar hosted the first major Opposition meeting in Patna in June 2023, which helped set the process for the INDIA bloc in motion. His name was later discussed for the alliance’s convenor post.

But on January 28, 2024, Kumar resigned as Bihar chief minister, ended his alliance with the RJD and Congress, and returned to the NDA with BJP support.

INDIA bloc meeting amid EC row

The CWC discussion comes ahead of an INDIA bloc meeting in New Delhi on September 30, where Opposition parties are expected to discuss their response to the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

The Congress has been seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over its concerns about the poll panel and the SIR exercise. The Election Commission has rejected allegations of wrongdoing.

The INDIA bloc is also dealing with differences over participation in the meeting, with some constituents deciding to stay away. The discussion over Kumar has consequently brought his 2024 exit back into focus within the Congress.