Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “worried” over the formation of the opposition bloc INDIA, the performance of which will be “excellent” in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The JD(U) leader made the remark while interacting with journalists here upon return from Delhi, where he had on Wednesday paid tributes to former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his death anniversary.
“I had gone to Delhi for a medical checkup. It was a coincidence that it also happened to be death anniversary of the late leader who used to be so fond of me,” said Kumar, who snapped ties with the BJP last year, but retains fond memories of his days as a minister in the Union cabinet headed by Vajpayee.
“I had forecast that he (Vajpayee) will become the prime minister one day and it turned out to be true. The coalition was given the name National Democratic Alliance in 1999, under his leadership,” recalled Kumar.
Referring to Modi, without mentioning him by name, Kumar said “these people never even bothered to hold meetings of the NDA, while I was a part of that coalition. After we formed INDIA and held a couple of meetings, they were forced to sit up and take note. They are now worried, and have started holding meetings of the NDA”.
The Bihar CM has also been alleging that under Modi, the BJP has stopped treating allies with respect.
The JD(U) leader, who takes pride in having hosted the first meeting of the combined opposition here two months ago, scoffed at Modi’s claim that INDIA did not deserve to be taken seriously, and asserted that the new coalition’s performance in the Lok Sabha polls will be “excellent and augur well for the country”.
Kumar rubbished reports in a section of the media that while in Delhi he had sought appointments with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal, but neither agreed to meet him.
“This is nonsense. I keep talking to both leaders over telephone. The fact is, meeting anybody was not on the agenda this time. I had undergone an eye surgery a few years ago, and my doctor insists on examinations every six months. That was the sole reason of my visit to Delhi. I was amused to read about so much of speculations around my trip,” said the longest-serving CM of Bihar.
He, however, sidestepped a query about the meeting of NCP chief Sharad Pawar with nephew Ajit Pawar, who has rebelled and joined the NDA to become Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
“We will be meeting at Mumbai when the next meeting of INDIA is held later this month,” Kumar said.
Asked about the claim of his former close aide Prashant Kishore that the JD(U) may find it hard to win five seats in the Lok Sabha polls, he said, “I do not wish to comment on personal opinions, but I would request all those who are interested to cross-check by talking to the people”.
He also urged journalists to visit Darbhanga and see for themselves the site his government had allocated for construction of AIIMS, which the Centre has declared as unsuitable for the project, triggering a spat between the Union and the state governments.
Kumar also dismissed allegations made by the BJP of deterioration in law and order since the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ formed the new government in Bihar.
“They should look at the figures which prove that crime rate in Bihar is far lower than many states,” the chief minister asserted.
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