Patna/IBNS: The INDIA bloc appears to be on the brink of losing a third key leader with reports indicating that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar might stage a walkout.

According to media reports, Kumar, in a last-minute U-turn, will partner with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Over the last two days, two key leaders  Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal have announced to contest alone in the Lok Sabha polls ruling out any alliance with the Congress and saying they would go solo in Bengal and Punjab.

Kumar may even share the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his February 4 rally in Bettiah, said reports.

He has even called all his MLAs to Patna.

According to reports, the party now has two options either to dissolve the assembly and hold assembly elections alongside the Lok Sabha elections or to allow Kumar to continue as the Chief Minister which is being greatly resisted by the party's local leaders.

The majority mark in the 243-member Bihar assembly is 122. The RJD has 79 seats.  Kumar can form the government with 82 seats of the BJP and 45 of his Janata Dal-United. Lalu Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal has 79 seats.

Amid the political tumult, the Bihar Governor, who was to travel to Goa tomorrow evening, has cancelled his plans.

On Wednesday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee dropped a bombshell, switching her Trinamool Congress off from the anti-Bharatiya Janata Party national alliance, INDIA, in West Bengal, slamming the principal opposition force Congress just months ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

In an outburst of her anger in front of the media, Mamata, who held an administrative meeting in Burdwan on Wednesday, said in clear words, "I had no talk with anyone. My proposal for seat-sharing was turned down by them on the first day. We have already decided to go solo in the elections in Bengal. We will decide about a national approach after the elections."

Following suit, in a further jolt to the INDIA alliance, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced AAP, which came to power in 2022 thrashing Congress, will fight in all 13 seats in the state alone.

Addressing the media, Mann said, “We have nothing to do with Congress in Punjab.”

"Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will win the elections on all 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Punjab will become a hero in the country," he said.