In her recently released memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi provides a detailed account of the political shifts that occurred in early 2024. According to ThePrint, Gandhi writes that the exit of Nitish Kumar, then the chief minister of Bihar, from the INDIA opposition alliance was a calculated move rather than a sudden decision. She describes the moment as a significant setback for the coalition, noting that Kumar abruptly left a meeting of opposition leaders while offering what she characterized as a feeble excuse.
Gandhi’s narrative suggests that the departure was part of a broader strategy. She writes that the situation felt strange to those present, leading them to suspect that something was afoot. ThePrint reports that she concluded the move had clearly been planned, as Kumar subsequently rejoined the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. Despite the initial shock, Gandhi states that the opposition's determination to continue its campaign remained strong once the immediate reactions subsided.
The Janata Dal (United) responded to the memoir with a formal rebuttal. Rajeev Ranjan Prasad, the party's national spokesperson, stated that JD(U) was deeply aggrieved by the manner in which its president was portrayed. In a video statement, Prasad argued that Kumar was the architect and driving force behind the INDIA bloc, which is now led by Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. He contended that the memoir failed to acknowledge the foundational work Kumar did to bring various opposition parties together.
Sanjay Kumar Jha, the JD(U) national working president, also questioned the accuracy of Gandhi’s account. He noted that the book described Kumar’s exit as being for weak reasons, which he felt reflected a new culture within the Congress party. Jha emphasized that leaders had come together because of the trust Kumar built among them, citing his efforts to organize the first meeting of the bloc in Patna in June 2023. ThePrint notes that the issue had previously been discussed at a Congress Working Committee meeting in September, where senior leader Digvijaya Singh argued the party should have retained Kumar, while Gandhi disagreed, suggesting he was always meant to leave.