A day after Nitish Kumar took oath as the chief minister – tying a Mahagathbandhan with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress and the Left – and Tejashwi Yadav became the deputy chief minister, Shiv Sena rebel camp leader Deepak Kasarkar Thursday claimed that the new alliance was ‘just a phase’.
“It's just a phase. I don't mean to criticise him (CM Nitish Kumar). He's a senior politician who has served the state well as the chief minister. But he may reconsider his decision if he feels that he has picked the wrong party. That's not unprecedented,” said Maharashtra minister Deepak Kesarkar, on the new coalition government in Bihar.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's split with the Janata Dal (United) in Bihar was a bitter pill to swallow for the saffron party, which was put in the position for the second time.
BJP leader and former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi had on Wednesday hit out at Nitish Kumar saying the fallout between his party and JD(U) could be because of the chief minister's desire to become the country's vice president.
However, Kumar rubbished the allegations asking if it was a joke. “Is it a joke? I have no such desire. Did they forget how much our party supported their President and Vice-President candidate? We were waiting for the election to be over and then convened our meeting,” he told media persons.
{{/usCountry}}However, Kumar rubbished the allegations asking if it was a joke. “Is it a joke? I have no such desire. Did they forget how much our party supported their President and Vice-President candidate? We were waiting for the election to be over and then convened our meeting,” he told media persons.
{{/usCountry}}Kumar parted ways with the BJP on Tuesday alleging that they were trying to break the JD(U). Speculations were rife in political circles of his 'national ambitions' being the cause behind the decision.