PATNA: The opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Tuesday alleged that Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s sudden resignation was part of a larger BJP conspiracy to sideline Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ahead of the assembly elections.The claim was promptly dismissed by JD(U) minister Shravan Kumar, a close aide of the chief minister, who reiterated that Nitish Kumar would lead the NDA in the upcoming polls and continue to serve as the face of the alliance in Bihar.RJD chief whip Akhtarul Islam Shahin claimed that Dhankhar’s exit was aimed at creating a vacancy that could be offered to Nitish Kumar in a bid to remove him from Bihar’s political landscape.“For long, the BJP has wanted to get rid of Nitish Kumar and install its own chief minister. They are growing desperate ahead of the elections, where an NDA defeat is imminent,” Shahin told PTI. He added, “Former Union minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey had even suggested that Nitish be made deputy prime minister. So, it is not far-fetched to see Dhankhar’s resignation as part of a BJP strategy to push Nitish into a politically irrelevant position.”He also cited the late BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi’s claim that Kumar once lobbied for the vice president’s post and quit the NDA in 2022 after the BJP, then enjoying a Lok Sabha majority, refused to accommodate him.Nitish Kumar had broken ties with the BJP in 2022, accusing it of attempting to split the JD(U). However, he returned to the NDA ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, and his party has since become a key ally for the BJP at the Centre.JD(U)’s Shravan Kumar rubbished the RJD’s claim. “There is no question of Nitish Kumar leaving Bihar. He will lead the NDA in the assembly elections, secure victory, and continue to serve the people of the state,” he said.Vice President Dhankhar resigned from his post on Monday evening, citing medical reasons. His resignation, submitted to President Droupadi Murmu, took effect immediately.
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