As JDU chief, Nitish will unite all anti-BJP forces
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday took over as president of the JDU promising party cadres that he would give adequate time to the party work too in addition to his duties as CM.
He said former party president Sharad Yadav would continue to function as guardian leader of the party workers. Addressing the party delegates at the national council meeting at S K Memorial hall here, Nitish clarified that he was not interested in becoming the PM, but was concerned with uniting the anti-BJP parties and forces."Those who have dreamt of becoming PM or projected as PM could not become PM in their seven births". Nitish said and requested the media and political commentators not to project him as the next PM candidate.
Nitish took a leaf out of Indira Gandhi's book by declaring he would launch a nationwide strong temperance movement . He would launch the campaign for prohibition by visiting Jharkhand, the BJP-ruled neighbouring state from where his request for control on inter-state flow of liquor to Bihar got cold response from the chief minister Rahuwar das who simply "forwarded for necessary action" his letter sent last month for strong measures at check posts on Bihar border. Nitish said he would visit Lucknow on May 15 to intensify the anti-liquor campaign and visit Odisha and West Bengal too. It may be recalled when prohibition call of the then prime minister Morarji Desai had failed in 1978, the Congress leader Indira Gandhi had recommended a strong temperance movement to make the programme succeessful. Nitish literally followed Indira Gandhi by announcing the nation wide movement against liquor. Nitish attacked the BJP and said the party misled the people of the country in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and failed in fulfilling any commitments made to them. On the other hand Mahagathbandhan has started meeting its commitments by making 35 pc of the government jobs reserved for women and declaring total prohiibition. Five other commitments are being followed and he would monitor them at the divisional level meetings starting Monday-April 25.
JDU secretary general K C Tygai said no one has projected Nitish as PM candidate so far,but RJD president Lalu Prasad and NCP general secretary Tariq Anwar have declared Nitish was fit to be the PM. Tygai criticised the surface transport minister Nitisn Gadkari for not giving respect due to Lalu when he called on Gadkari two days back. The government advertisements issued to newspapers deleted the photo of Lalu which was an insult to the senior leader. He said, "Lalu is more senior than Gadkari ". Lalu had met Gadkari alongwith his deputy chief minister Son Tejashwi yadav in New Delhi.
Clarifies that he is not interested in becoming PM, but would work for the party