E-Paper
'How many JDU ministers in Union Cabinet?' Nitish Kumar says he had to keep party safe
Nitish Kumar also hit out at the ruling camp at the Centre for not giving enough representation to parliamentarians from Bihar in the Union Cabinet.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Friday said the decision to leave the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was taken keeping in mind “people's wish”, while he recalled how nobody benefitted from the saffron party even during elections.
“Even during polls, winning candidates said nobody (from the BJP) supported them and those who lost said they were defeated by the BJP people. I had to keep my party safe and act as per people's wish,” the Bihar CM was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
He also hit out at the ruling camp at the Centre for not giving enough representation to parliamentarians from Bihar in the Union Cabinet. Kumar said he had told the BJP leadership that it would not be good if four from Janata Dal (United) are not ministers, but they did not pay heed.
"...How many people from Bihar did they make a minister (at the Centre)? Told them to make our people ministers too, if you don't make a minimum of four of us ministers, won't be good. They didn't... When he (RCP Singh) became one, I asked him to leave (party) chief post..." Kumar said.
Earlier, while speaking to reporters, he repeated his stand that he had no prime ministerial ambitions, but was looking forward to playing a “positive” role in forging opposition unity against the NDA at the Centre.
Also read | Bihar CM on Tejashwi's promise of 10 lakh jobs to youth: 'What he has said is…'
“Please do not ask me such questions, I have said many times that I harbour no such ambitions. I want to serve my state,” Kumar said with folded hands.
Kumar was sworn-in for the record eighth time as chief minister with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav as his deputy earlier this week after snapping ties with the BJP.
When asked about the “misuse” of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against the new dispensation in Bihar, Kumar said “those habituated to misuse will face public ire”.
