New Delhi: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday assured that despite dumping the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the past, he won’t switch sides in future and will remain firmly with the BJP-led bloc. “We (BJP-JDU) were together since 1995. Beech mein 2 baar idhar udhar zaroor ho gaye theyy. Lekin ab kabhi nahi. Phir wahin rahenge, ab idhar udhar nahi honge. (In between, we had wandered here and there twice. But not anymore. We will stay there, and won’t wander here and there anymore..)”
‘Ab Idhar Udhar Nahi Honge’: Nitish Kumar After Meting PM Modi, Nadda
The Bihar Chief Minister made these remarks after meeting the BJP national president JP Nadda in the national capital. When quizzed about seat-sharing with the BJP, Kumar said, “There is no logic behind discussing this. That will be done. They know everything from the beginning…”
CM Nitish Kumar earlier met Prime Minister Narendra Modi shortly after arriving in the national capital on Wednesday. The Bihar Chief Minister also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah before meeting the BJP national president.
His meeting with PM Modi and top BJP leaders came days after he dumped the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) and the opposition INDIA bloc to form a new government with the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Bihar. Interestingly, the meeting took place five days ahead of Nitish Kumar’s government’s scheduled floor test which is on February 12.
It was earlier reported that the Janata Dal-United supremo is likely to press for a special package for Bihar during his discussions with the BJP leaders. The Bihar leader is also expected to discuss issues related to the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls in the state with the top BJP leaders, sources said.
It may be noted that six Rajya Sabha seats in Bihar are falling vacant, for which elections are scheduled to be held on February 27. During his stay in the national capital, the Bihar Chief Minister is also likely to meet veteran BJP leader LK Advani, sources said. The Centre recently announced that BJP stalwart and Ram Temple movement leader LK Advani will be conferred the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian honour.
Meanwhile, this is also the first visit of the Janata Dal (United) supremo after he dumped the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) and the INDIA bloc to form a new government with the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Bihar.
Nitish Kumar took the oath as Chief Minister of Bihar for the ninth time in Raj Bhawan, Patna, switching sides again, this time with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). It was for the second time in two years that Nitish Kumar had jumped the ship, his fifth crossover in a little over a decade.
Two Deputy Chief Ministers from the BJP, Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, and six other ministers, including Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Santosh Kumar Suman, Shrawan Kumar, and others, also took the oath earlier.