Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was in New Delhi on Wednesday, August 16, 2023 to pay tribute to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his death anniversary and to meet Opposition leaders.
Mr. Kumar served as a minister in Vajpayee’s cabinet and always praised the former PM for his “inclusive politics”, which has become a point of unfavourable comparison with Prime Minister Modi.
Senior BJP leader from Bihar and Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Modi, alleged that he (Mr. Kumar) was trying to divide the BJP by praising the former PM.
Earlier, Mr. Kumar wished his Delhi counterpart and Aam Admi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal for his birthday. He is to meet Mr. Kejriwal and Congress leaders ahead of the Opposition coalition INDIA’s next meeting scheduled in Mumbai at the end of this month. Mr. Kumar has played an important role in convening and congregating Opposition leaders on a common platform and he is likely to be appointed as convener of INDIA.
Reaching Delhi on Wednesday, Mr. Kumar along with his cabinet colleague Sanjay Kumar Jha paid homage to the former PM, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on his death anniversary at his memorial Sadaiv Atal. “I came here to pay tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his death anniversary. I can never forget how we used to work together. He (late Mr Vajpayee) was there when I took oath as the chief minister of Bihar for the first time”, Mr Kumar told media persons in Delhi.
In his Independence Day speech on August 15, Mr. Kumar recalled his time working with former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. “He (late Mr Vajpayee) loved and respected us. He can never be forgotten”, said Mr. Kumar. He was part of the union cabinet office headed by Mr. Vajpayee as minister of agriculture and railways.
During his two-day visit to Delhi, Mr. Kumar is expected to meet Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Congress president Mallikaarjun Kharge, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and others.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders from Bihar slammed Mr. Kumar. “Mr. Kumar tries to sow division in thr BJP by praising former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and sometime Lal Krishna Advani. But he will not succeed”, said BJP leader from Bihar and Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Modi.
“Such trips will not make any difference and PM Narendra Modi will return to power for the third consecutive term in 2024”, party MP from Patna Sahib and former union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said. Mr. Prasad also claimed that Mr. Kumar’s ally Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad “wants Mr. Kumar to shift to Delhi so his younger son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav can become the chief minister”. Mr. Yadav is currently Deputy CM in Mr. Kumar’s cabinet.
