Bihar’s chief minister Nitish Kumar said on Sunday that he is not eager to retain the CM chair and that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is free to choose any other leader for the post.
“People say the BJP wants the CM position. I don’t care. I am not attached to the position,” Kumar said at the JD (U) national executive meeting. “After the election results came in, I made my wish known to the coalition. But the pressure was so great that I had to get back to work.”
Nitish’s statement came amid unrest in the NDA after six JD (U) MLAs in Arunachal Pradesh got on the BJP.
On Sunday, the JD (U) expressed its anguish over the mass exodus of its MLAs to the BJP in Arunachal Pradesh, saying that “it is not a good sign of the alliance’s politics”, while during the time of Atal Bihari Vajpayee it followed the coalition’s dharma campaign. The party’s annoyance over the episode was voiced by its general secretary KC Tyagi after their national executive meeting here.
However, he made it clear that the developments in Arunachal Pradesh will not influence Bihar politics, as there is “no dispute” in his alliance government here. Kumar heads the NDA government in Bihar with JD (U), BJP, Hindustani Awam Morcha and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) as its constituents.
After the departure of six MLAs, the JD (U) is now left with a legislator in the northeast state. “The party has expressed its deep anguish, disgust and protest at the development of Arunachal Pradesh. It is not a good sign for the politics of the alliance,” Tyagi told reporters.
“Partners must follow ‘alliance policy’ as practiced during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure or for the last 15 years in Bihar.” Coalition partners should follow ‘Atal Dharma’ as they lead the alliance government, Tyagi said.
He noted that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee successfully led a 23-partner coalition government where there were no contradictions between them (allies). He shared information about the decisions made in the party’s national executive and the national council meeting held in Karpoori Thakur Sabhagar at the party’s state headquarters here.
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha member Ramchandra Prasad Singh, better known as the initial CPR Singh, a close confidante of Bihar’s chief minister Nitish Kumar, was elected on Sunday as the new president of JD (U). Kumar had proposed Singh’s name for the highest office, which was later approved by other members during the meeting of the party’s national council and national executive.
By stating that the party leader had told Interior Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda that they would not find an opposition that could create any kind of problem for the government and therefore could be included in Arunachal’s cabinet, Tyagi said that “instead of pleasing them (JDU MLAs) into the cabinet, they (BJP) included them in their party.” “This goes against the basic spirit of alliance government,” he said, suggesting that “love and brotherhood should be the foundation of the alliance.”
When asked if the party would inform the BJP leadership of their displeasure, he said that the displeasure will be communicated to them through the media. Referring to Nitish Kumars’ speech delivered at the party meeting, Tyagi said that Kumar did not want to become the CM after the results of the assembly were declared, the decision that he (Kumar) had conveyed to both his party and his ally BJP.
Stating that those who raise the issue of the strength of numbers, the leader of JD (U) affirmed that Nitish Kumar is a man known for his “credibility” and not for his “numbers”. “Neither their credibility is affected at all nor has the percentage of party votes dropped in the recently concluded Bihar polls,” Tyagi said, adding that Nitish Kumar would give other states more time.
In response to a query, Tyagi said the party would contest the West Bengal assembly polls. When pressed further about the number of seats the party will contest, he said the decision will be made in a day or two in consultation with the party’s head of state and the state president.
The party has also asked all the presidents and candidates in its district who fought in the Bihar assembly elections to find out the reasons, individuals and groups responsible for the defeat of the nominees, Tyagi said. In response to a question, the JD (U) leader said that the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) was not part of the NDA in Bihar or the Center.
LJP had worked against JD (U) in the Bihar elections despite being an alliance partner of the NDA at the center. If the party would join the union cabinet, Tyagi said the party would consider joining the cabinet if it gets “proportionate representation”, an issue the party has made clear in the past.
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