NDA 'Strengthens', INDIA Bloc 'Sinks': Congress Faces Rout & Rebellion

A historic day today as the NDA government took oath in Bihar, with Nitish Kumar being sworn in as Chief Minister for the 10th time in 25 years. And mind you, Nitish Kumar has taken the top post despite all the conspiracy theories we heard before the elections - theories about how he would be jettisoned by the BJP, how the BJP wanted its own Chief Minister, and how the JDU would be swallowed up. Well, here we are: the JDU sitting pretty with 85 seats and the Chief Minister's post. On the other hand, it is the Congress that seems to have trouble brewing yet again. How so? Perhaps emboldened by its Bihar debacle, the grand old party's friends - both within and outside - have begun to bare their fangs. For one, the eternal game of musical chairs in Karnataka has begun. Again. A group of Congress ministers from Karnataka, believed to be loyal to DK Shivakumar, have landed in Delhi. Officially, they say they are in the national capital to address issues related to their constituencies. But the timing is interesting: this comes just as the Congress completes 2.5 years in power in Karnataka... and at a moment when the Congress high command is seen as weakened. Is that a coincidence? I will leave that to your imagination.