BJP-JDU alliance will win over 200 seats, says Nitish
NEW DELHI: A few days after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was being “advised” by some leaders ally partner BJP
leaders to focus more on his national political career instead of sticking to Bihar CM chair, the former has on Friday predicted a landslide victory for the NDA in the assembly polls which is due next year.
While addressing a state council meeting of the Janata Dal (United) of which he is the national president, Kumar
lashed out at his detractors, claiming that people “lacking political acumen” trying to gain publicity by launching personal attacks on him.
In a veiled attack on ruling parties, the Bihar CM also asserted that those trying to create a rift between his party JD(U) and alliance partner BJP will be in trouble.
“Many of them have shame
lessly admitted that they did so because it was their USP,” he said while urging his partymen to avoid reacting to “slanderous” remarks made against him. “I would advise my party spokesmen, do not get drawn into all this. Avoid reacting to every slanderous remark that may be made against me,” he said.
“Try to recall the 2010 assembly polls. Sceptics doubted that we will get the majority. We ended up winning 206 out of 243 seats. Rest assured we will cross 200 next year,” Kumar said.
Asserting that all is well between the JD(U) and the BJP, he took the turn to attack opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav without taking latter's name. Kumar in his attack on opposition leaders said, “There are many who think there is ghachpach (something amiss) in our alliance. It is not so. Those trying to do ghachpach (create confusion) are going to be in trouble and soon find themselves in a sorry state (bura haal hone waala hai), let me assure you.”
Notably, Sanjay Paswan,
who served union minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee regime and now MLC in Bihar had suggested a change of captaincy in the state. Paswan had said that Kumar has served the state as its CM for 15 years and now he should give BJP the chance for one term. In his speech Kumar, whose vision of above 200 seats likely relies on support from Ramvilas Paswan's LJP, which was allied against him in 2010, also made indirect references to RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, saying there were some people “who don't know ABCD of politics”.
It's worth mentioning that Yadav had served as Deputy Chief Minister under Kumar after the 2015 polls, in which the JD(U) and RJD formed a grand alliance that came unstuck after money-laundering cases were lodged against Yadav. Kumar walked out after the RJD refused to back his demand for Yadav's resignation.
Reacting to the Kumar's comment, Yadav said that if he didn't know the “ABCD of politics”, Nitish Kumar should not have made him Deputy Chief Minister.
On the occasion, senior JD(U) leader Vashishtha Narayan Singh was re-elected as the state party president, unopposed for the fourth consecutive term. Bihar CM Kumar congratulated Singh and appealed to him to guide the party. Speaking on the occasion, Singh said that the sapling which was planted by CM Nitish Kumar in Bihar has now taken the form of a tree. “Bihar has moved forward on the path of development but there is still much to be done,” Singh said.