Nitish very much in NDA: BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was very much part of their National Democratic Alliance (NDA) after the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader said he was willing to support any party that would grant his state a special status.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was very much part of their National Democratic Alliance (NDA) after the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader said he was willing to support any party that would grant his state a special status.

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"Nitish Kumar hasn't asked for anything unusual. He knows which alliance will give Bihar a special status. He is part of the NDA and has assured us support," BJP president Rajnath Singh told reporters.

During a book release function in Patna earlier Friday, Nitish Kumar said: "We will support whichever party or alliance gives Bihar a special category status. That will be the basis of our support."

Reacting to the remarks, the Congress, which was last week trying to get Nitish Kumar's support, asked him to specify what he meant by 'special category status'.

"He (Nitish Kumar) needs to define and specify what he means by special status for Bihar. The UPA (the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance) has always taken into consideration demands when it has released funds for backward states," said Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh.

Nitish Kumar's remarks came a day before the vote count that is widely expected to deliver a fractured verdict and leading alliances are frentically working to shore up their numbers.