Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s elevation as national president of his party JD(U) and some of his recent comments through which he is batting for unity of non-BJP parties in States and on national level are being seen in the political circle as his attempt to jump into national politics with an ambition to eye the top post. The BJP leaders are making fun of his dreams calling it day dreaming and some advising him to resign from the post of the Chief Minister and go to Delhi.
When RJD supremo lalu Prasad was asked about Nitish’s national ambitions, the former CM with a smile quipped, “Yes, yes; why not. If he becomes Prime Minister we will be happy and my party will support him.”
Senior BJP leader and former Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi however advised him to first quit and then day dream. In a sarcastic tone Modi said, “Governance has become the biggest victim. It will be better for Nitish to resign and hand over the reins to either Tejashwi Prasad Yadav (Deputy CM) or Tej Pratap Yadav (Health Minister) and move over to Delhi. After all the RJD is the biggest party as far as its strength in the Assembly is concerned.” Both Rejashwi and Tej are sons of lalu and enjoy number two and three position in the Cabinet.
Nitish’s recent statement are seen as his attempt in his capacity as national president of JD(U) to inspire the regional parties across the country which are not the partner of the NDA to have certain unity in the elections in State Assemblies to defeat BJP. He said most of the regional parties as well as Congress and left are opposed to the ideologies of the RSS and BJP and this could be a rallying point for electoral understanding among them.
However, when asked if he was gearing up to take lead and, if there is any such unity, the head it, the CM said, “There is no dearth of leaders and there are many in different parties.” Yet, Nitish is now more vocal in expressing his views on a number of national issues like water crisis in Maharashtra or Pattidar movement in Gujarat.
Reacting on Modi’s advise, JD(U) spokesman Sanjay Singh said Nitish did not need Modi’s advise and if he really wants to give advise, he should first resign from BJP and join JD(U). Singh asked, “When Narendra Modi entered into national politics did he resign from the Chief Minister of GujaratIJ Did he quit when the BJP made him candidate for Prime Minister’s postIJ”