The leader of India's eastern Bihar state resigned from his post on Wednesday (26) in a surprise move widely expected to strengthen prime minister Narendra Modi's grip on power.
Nitish Kumar, the popular chief minister of one of India's most populous and impoverished states, told journalists that it had become "impossible" for him to run the government in an alliance with a regional party led by Lalu Prasad Yadav, a controversial populist.
"My resignation has been accepted. The governor has asked me to continue till other arrangements are made," Kumar said.
Modi's right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the main opposition in the state and observers predict that it could now form the next Bihar government in an alliance with Kumar's party.
Yadav -- a former Bihar chief minister -- was earlier banished from India's lower house in 2013 after he was convicted of defrauding a scheme to help farmers.
Rage bait isn’t just clickbait — it’s Oxford University Press’ word of the year for 2025 iStock/Gemini AI 
Online Trends iStock
Rage bait isn\u2019t just clickbait \u2014 it\u2019s Oxford University Press\u2019 word of the year for 2025 iStock/Gemini AI 
