Patna: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday resigned as the chief minister, claiming that things were “not moving right in the grand alliance (GA) government”.

The outgoing CM, who is once again set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic (NDA), is likely to take the oath later in the evening.

Kumar, 72, reached Raj Bhavan on Sunday and handed over his resignation to governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, breaking away from the grand alliance less than 18 months after forming a new government in the state with the support of Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

Speaking to media persons outside the Raj Bhawan, Kumar said, “Today, I met the governor and resigned as chief minster of Bihar. I have also told the governor to dissolve the government in the state.”

He added, “Theek nahi chal raha tha (things were not moving well). I was trying to make things move. The RJD’s attitude was bothering me. The situation in the GA government was not good.”

This comes after an informal meeting of Janata Dal (United) leaders at Kumar’s residence on Saturday. The JDU president is expected to stake claim to form a new government with the BJP’s support.

The Mahagathbandhan or the grand alliance government in Bihar was formed following Kumar’s exit from the NDA in August 2022.

This is Kumar’s fourth such move in the past decade and the second this term.

About the formation of the new government, Kumar said, “If parties with whom I was there decide, the government will shape up today itself.”

Kumar, who took the lead in forming the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) blamed the slow progress of talks with the INDIA bloc for his exit. He claimed that the INDIA bloc he spearheaded to take on the BJP was not doing its bit at par.

“I was making all efforts to make the INDIA bloc running, but no response was coming (from anyone). I decided to resign after taking views of all,” said Kumar.

JD(U) spokesperson K C Tyagi told reporters in Delhi that the grand alliance government in Bihar is on the verge of collapse and accused a section of the Congress leadership of repeatedly “insulting” Kumar.

“The INDIA bloc is on the verge of collapse. The alliance of INDIA bloc parties is almost over in Punjab, West Bengal and Bihar,” he said.

In the Bihar Assembly of 243, the RJD has 79 MLAs; followed by the BJP’s 78; the JD(U) has 45, the Congress’s 19, the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation has 12, two each of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India, the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) has four , and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen has one, plus one Independent legislator.

The NDA has a strength of 127 MLAs to 116 (with one independent) of the grand alliance. The majority mark in the 243-member Bihar assembly is 122.