Kushwaha says Nitish Kumar is Prime Ministerial material

Kushwaha’s comments also come in the backdrop of opposition parties deliberating to form a united front against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Janata Dal (United) leader Upendra Kushwaha on Sunday said Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is suited to become the Prime Minister as he has all the potential and qualities fit for the post.

Kushwaha was speaking with reporters following his return from New Delhi after holding the JD(U)’s national executive meeting. (Santosh Kumar /Hindustan Times)

“We are in NDA and we have Prime Minister Narenrdra Modi, who is doing good work but there are others who have potential to become the Prime Minister. One of them is Nitish Kumar. He is Prime Minister material,” Kushwaha said.

Kushwaha was speaking with reporters following his return from New Delhi after holding the JD(U)’s national executive meeting. Kushwaha, who is JD(U)’s national parliamentary board chairman, made these comments after Lalan Singh alias Rajiv Ranjan Singh was made the JD(U) national president. There were speculations that Kushwaha himself was a contender for the party top post. He expressed his confidence in Lalan Singh and said he will continue to work as ‘Arjun’ of the party. Kushwaha on being asked if the JD(U) is planning to project Nitish Kumaas the Prime Ministerial candidate said that no discussions were held regarding such propositions.

Kushwaha’s comments also come in the backdrop of opposition parties deliberating to form a united front against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Though JD(U) is an ally of the BJP in Bihar, it said it will have discussions with BJP ahead of the UP elections and also said that if the seat-sharing plans do not work out it will fight the elections alone. It did not contest in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh elections.

(with inputs from Anirban Guha Roy)