Nitish, Lalu chorus: Cong non-player in state politics

Three days after Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s Bihar visit, arch rivals Janata Dal (U) leader and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD leader Lalu Prasad came out with similar sounding anti-Congress diatribes.

Three days after Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s Bihar visit, arch rivals Janata Dal (U) leader and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD leader Lalu Prasad came out with similar sounding anti-Congress diatribes. Kumar and Prasad used almost the same words while dubbing the Congress “a non-player” in the six-phase assembly polls scheduled between October 21 and November 20.

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The two chieftains did not spare each other either. Kumar said the RJD was hand in glove with the Congress to resist the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance – of which JD (U) is a constituent – in the state. Prasad asserted that although the Congress was not in the reckoning, it might divide the secular vote and help the NDA.

“I have already appealed to my party men to expose the Congress’s game-plan.” Kumar countered: “How has Lalu got a front seat in Parliament despite having only four MPs? Everybody knows how the Congress and the RJD had fought separately in 2000 and later came together to form a government.”

He said both the “Yuvraj (read Rahul Gandhi)” and Congress-led United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi were accusing the state of failing to use central funds.

“Congress believes in propaganda. It talks big, but does a little. That has been its unique selling point for ages,” he said.

No need for me to contest: Nitish

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday said he would not contest the Bihar polls as there was no need for it.

A member of the state legislative council, Kumar, however, dropped hints earlier that he might contest the polls to get elected to the assembly.

But there has obviously been a rethink so that Kumar gets time to campaign for his party. htc