JD(U) blames Congress bid to steal INDIA bloc leadership for Nitish Kumar's exit

JD(U) leader KC Tyagi said Congress tried to steal the INDIA bloc's leadership through a conspiracy.

New Delhi: The Janata Dal (United) on Sunday blamed the Congress for Nitish Kumar's exit from the INDIA bloc, saying the party wanted to steal the leadership of the Opposition alliance. JD(U) leader KC Tyagi claimed Mamata Banerjee was made to propose Mallikarjun Kharge's name as the prime ministerial face of the alliance "through a conspiracy".

A file photo from the INDIA bloc's December 19 meeting. (Hindustan Times photo)

"Congress wanted to steal the leadership of the INDIA alliance. In the meeting that took place on December 19, through a conspiracy, to get the leadership of INDIA alliance, Mallikarjun Kharge's name was proposed (as PM face)…earlier, in the meeting that took place in Mumbai, it was unanimously decided that without any PM face, INDIA alliance will work," the senior leader said.

He said the Congress kept dragging the seat-sharing talks.

“Through a conspiracy, Mamata Banerjee was made to propose Kharge's name as PM face...all other parties have made their own identity by fighting against the Congress...Congress kept dragging the seat sharing, we kept saying that seat sharing needs to happen immediately...INDIA lacked plans to fight against BJP,” he said, listing the reasons for Kumar's exit.

It was Mamata Banerjee who proposed the name of Mallikarjun Kharge as the alliance's prime ministerial face. Kharge was later chosen as the chairperson of the Opposition's bloc after Nitish Kumar denied the convenor's post.

Nitish Kumar had denied that he wanted to become the alliance's face, saying the leadership question would be discussed later.

On Friday, a JD(U) MLA claimed Nitish Kumar was being disrespected in the Mahagathbandhan alliance and that he was fighting for his existence.

Congress calls Nitish Kumar ‘chameleon’

Nitish Kumar today resigned from the chief minister's post and said he was not getting “a response” from the INDIA bloc.

Reacting to the development, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the future of the INDIA bloc isn't at stake with Nitish Kumar's exit. Calling him a chameleon, he recalled Kumar attended all the meetings of the INDIA bloc. He also mentioned the name of Mamata Banerjee, who has announced that her party Trinamool Congress will contest the Lok Sabha elections alone in West Bengal.

"The future of India is at stake in the election. But the future of the INDIA group is not at stake. Future of India as a society, as a country is at stake if the BJP continues and the RSS ideology continues," he said.

The Congress general secretary said the INDIA bloc will be further strengthened.

"This will not have any impact on Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. The INDIA bloc will be further strengthened, Mamata Banerjee has herself said this. This (Nitish Kumar's resignation) will further upset people and I think people of Bihar will teach the right lesson to Nitish Kumar and the BJP in the election...I agree that this will be in the headlines for a day or two, it doesn't look good that Nitish Kumar had called the first meeting (of INDIA Alliance) in Patna...he attended all the meetings. But like I said, Nitish Kumar gives a tough competition to chameleons," he said.

The Congress has been trying to mollify Mamata Banerjee since her snub. Ramesh had said the INDIA bloc was unimaginable without the Trinamool Congress chief.

Meanwhile, DMK leader TKS Elangovan said Kumar had been under BJP's pressure.

"I don't know what kind of pressure he is facing from the BJP. BJP wants to break the INDIA alliance because they are afraid that they might lose the elections... They have particularly chosen Bihar by convincing Nitish Kumar that Lalu Prasad will become CM. That might be used against Lalu Prasad since both of them are in the same alliance, and Nitish Kumar might lose his seat. Our party leaders will have a talk with them," he said.

With inputs from PTI, ANI