Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday categorically said that he had no “personal desire” to hold any post in the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) ahead of the upcoming third meeting of the Opposition bloc in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1.
The buzz in political circles was that Mr. Kumar might be appointed as INDIA convener at its Mumbai meeting. Earlier, Mr. Kumar had initiated the meeting of Opposition parties in Patna on June 23 in which altogether 16 parties, including Congress, participated. The second meeting was held in Bengaluru on July 18.
“I’ve been repeatedly saying to you all that I do not want to become anything in the Opposition bloc. I’ve no personal desire to hold any post,” he told mediapersons when asked if he would be appointed INDIA convener. Deputy Chief Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, who was also present, said: “There will discussion on some issues and some new parties will join the bloc at the meeting.”
The Chief Minister on August 27 also said some new parties would be joining the INDIA and the BJP was feeling threatened by the alliance’s unity. “The BJP feels threatened by the unity of the Opposition. They know very well that Opposition parties were earlier scattered and now all the political parties are united after my initiative. They’re feeling threatened because they have to face loss due to Opposition getting united”, said Mr. Kumar while adding, “some new parties will be joining the Opposition bloc at its Mumbai meeting”.
BJP criticises Nitish
Meanwhile, the Opposition BJP in Bihar took a swipe at Mr. Kumar for saying he had no personal desire to hold any post in INDIA. “Earlier in 2020 too Mr. Kumar had said that he was not ready to become Chief Minister of the State but under pressure of BJP he held the post. Today, he is the Chief Minister. Mr. Kumar has said such things several times earlier but he has been the CM of the State,” BJP spokesperson Ram Sagar Singh said.
The ruling alliance parties, the Janata Dal (United) and the RJD, said Mr. Kumar had been saying since the beginning that he “doesn’t want any post in the Opposition bloc but the unity of all Opposition parties against the BJP”. “Mr. Kumar has all along been saying that he doesn’t want to hold any post in INDIA. His sole aim is to take all Opposition parties on a single platform unitedly to take on the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024 Lok Sabha poll”, JD(U) spokesperson Sunil Kumar said.
Recently, RJD chief Lalu Prasad had said that there would be a group of three-four states with a convener for the smooth coordination among Opposition parties. “There will not be one but several conveners in INDIA”, Mr. Prasad said.
Political analyst Ajay Kumar told The Hindu, “Mr. Kumar has always been saying that he doesn’t want to hold any post but “all along, since November 2005, he has been the Chief Minister of the State barring a few months when he had made the then party colleague Jitan Ram Manjhi the Chief Minister”.
“Whenever Mr. Kumar wants something big for himself he says such things to present his larger-than-life political face…Let’s wait and see how all these unfold,” Mr. Ajay Kumar added.
