Union minister Giriraj Singh on Monday took a swipe at Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar weeks after he had sided with the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan in the state to snap ties with the BJP. Ever since he left the BJP alliance, speculation has been rife about Kumar’s role in the 2024 national polls.
While Kumar has clarified in a statement recently that he is not considering the prospects of being a part of the race for the prime minister’s post in the next Lok Sabha polls, his deputy in Bihar - Tejashwi Yadav - on Sunday, during an interview to news agency PTI, said that the JD(U) leader could be a strong candidate for the post, “if considered” by the opposition.
However, Giriraj Singh has taken a dig at the former NDA ally, saying, “Nitish could not become a chief minister material in all these years.”
‘He has taken oaths eight times but not even once without an alliance. Like 2010, same bug has bitten … PM material… PM material.” On the BJP’s alliance with him, he said: “We had two options earlier… either that polls should be conducted again or to forge an alliance.”
{{/usCountry}}‘He has taken oaths eight times but not even once without an alliance. Like 2010, same bug has bitten … PM material… PM material.” On the BJP’s alliance with him, he said: “We had two options earlier… either that polls should be conducted again or to forge an alliance.”
{{/usCountry}}In 2017, Nitish Kumar had quit the Grand Alliance to forge a coalition government with the BJP. In the assembly elections that followed in 2020, the BJP was able to get nearly twice the number of seats as compared to Kumar’s JD(U), putting him at a disadvantageous position.
The differences between Kumar and the BJP hit rock bottom last month when he made an unanticipated announcement of quitting the CM’s post, only to be sworn in as the chief minister for the eighth term just days later with his new deputy - Lalu Yadav’s son.
His return to the Grand Alliance has brought back focus on the unity of the opposition parties, which have been trying to put up a united front against the BJP ahead of the next national polls.
(With inputs from ANI)