E-Paper
‘Wanted to see him retire as PM’: Akhilesh Yadav on Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's Rajya Sabha shift
A Bihar minister said on Saturday that JD(U) party workers are upset over Nitish Kumar's decision to move to the Rajya Sabha but will support him no matter what
A day after Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar filed his nomination for Rajya Sabha polls, meaning the CM's chair will go to someone else, Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav expressed his disapproval, and said that he wanted to see the JD(U) supremo retire as the Prime Minister.
“Who understands politics, knew what step the BJP would take. We wanted Nitish Kumar to retire as the Prime Minister, but now he will retire as a Rajya Sabha member,” Yadav said while speaking to reporters on Friday, reported news agency ANI.
Before returning to the BJP-led NDA ahead of the 2024 general elections, Nitish Kumar was one of the founding members of the Opposition INDIA bloc and his supporters saw him as a potential PM candidate, given his experience and political stature. Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party is also a part of the INDIA bloc.
Yadav's remarks came a day after Nitish Kumar, along with Bharatiya Janata Party national president Nitin Nabin, filed his nomination for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections on Thursday in Patna in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah.
JD(U) workers ‘upset’ over Nitish Kumar's move
It is not just the INDIA bloc members who were not very welcoming of Kumar's move to the Rajya Sabha; some member of Kumar's own party also expressed that they were upset.
Bihar minister and JD(U) leader Shravan Kumar on Saturday said that the party workers were upset over Nitish Kumar's decision to move to the Rajya Sabha but will support him no matter what.
"In yesterday's meeting, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar clarified all matters. This is his political (going to the Rajya Sabha) decision. Everyone is upset about this. But when a leader takes a political decision, it is the duty of their supporters or leaders and ministers around them to abide by the decision. All people have decided that we will stay with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and stand by him on every decision of his," Kumar said, as quoted by news agency ANI.
'Nitish Kumar's son to be Bihar's deputy CM'
As Nitish Kumar prepares for his move to the Parliament, JD(U) said that his son Nishant will be made the deputy CM in the new government after his father resigns. The announcement was made by JD(U) MLA Hari Narayan Singh, who is also a close aide of Nitish Kumar.
He also reported added that the decision to make Nishant, who is making his political debut now, the deputy CM was “unanimous”.
“It was also decided that Nishant shall formally join the JD(U). Since he must become a member of the legislature to hold a constitutional post, he would be elected to the legislative council in April when biennial elections to nine seats are scheduled. He need not necessarily contest from the seat that falls vacant upon his father's resignation,” Singh said while talking to private news channel, reported news agency PTI.
(With inputs from ANI, PTI)
