Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on September denied speculations of returning to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and termed it rubbish. Mr. Kumar stressed that he is more concerned towards strengthening the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc.
Mr. Kumar said this while responding to the journalist’s question at a State event where he paid the floral tribute to the statue of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, the co-founder of Jana Sangh on his birth anniversary.
After the recent rally of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Jhanjharpur last week where he made a guarded attack on Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad leaving Mr. Kumar in his speech, the talk and speculation got the momentum of Mr. Kumar returning to NDA. Exchanging pleasantries with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the recent G-20 event in New Delhi had also raised eyebrows.
Mr. Kumar chose to skip the function organised by the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in Kaithal to mark the 110th birth anniversary of former Deputy Prime Minister and party patriarch Choudhary Devi Lal. Making the presence in the function for Deendayal Upadhyaya and skipping the Opposition gathering where several leaders were present has also led to speculation about his closeness to the NDA.
Asked about talk of his returning to the NDA, Mr. Kumar said, “Kaya Faltu Baat Hai (what rubbish talk). Leave all this, I am not bothered what kind of talk is going on. You all know very well how hard I have been trying to unite the Opposition. This is a big achievement for us and I am not bothered who says what.”
It was Mr. Kumar who took the initiative to unite all the Opposition parties to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. There was a talk that Mr. Kumar would be appointed as the convener of the INDIA bloc but despite three meetings, nothing of the sort has happened.
Mr. Kumar had earlier skipped the joint press conference of the INDIA bloc in Bengaluru. However, later he had denied being upset at not getting an INDIA post and also said that he had no objection to the alliance’s name INDIA as some reports claimed that he had strong reservations over the name.
Soon after Mr. Kumar accompanied by his Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav left the venue of statue at Rajendra Nagar locality in Patna, several senior BJP leaders reached the spot to pay floral tribute.
BJP will not take Nitish back
Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member Sushil Modi who was also present said that “even if Mr. Kumar desires it so; the BJP will not take him back. Mr. Modi also called Mr. Kumar a liability and burden.”
“Amit Shah ji has explained it twice and Samrat Choudhary ji, BJP state president has also clarified on the same. Even if he (Mr. Kumar) rubs his nose to apologise, the doors of the BJP have been closed forever for him. Why should we take him back and what power is left in him? He does not have the capacity to transfer even two votes. If Narendra Modi ji would have not campaigned, the JD(U) would have not won even 44 seats in 2020 Assembly Election. He is a political burden and liability. We don’t need him and we will form the government in 2024 and 2025 as well with the support of our alliance partners. His entry to BJP is closed forever,” Mr. Modi said.
Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Giriraj Singh opined that paying tribute to Upadhyaya ji on his birth anniversary was done intentionally by Mr. Kumar to threaten the grand alliance because he has not been made convener of the INDIA bloc.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kumar also put a full stop on the talk of Cabinet expansion when asked about it saying that Cabinet is already expanded enough. Congress party has been demanding two more berths for the past several months and this issue was also discussed during the visit of Rahul Gandhi in Patna when the first meeting of the Opposition took place.
Later in the evening, Mr. Kumar visited 10, Circular Road, the official residence of former CM Rabri Devi to meet RJD supremo Lalu Prasad.
