A day after his stinging barbs on the Congress, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said on Monday the Opposition unity would not be effective unless there is an alternative agenda and narration and it is the responsibility of all the parties to work towards it. He also dispelled skepticism about survival of Bihar’s Mahagathbandhan saying that the State-level alliance is stronger than the NDA.
Talking to the mediapersons on Monday at his lok Samwad programme in Patna, he said no individual or single party could decide this alternative agenda. “At one programme in Delhi in the presence of Rahul Gandhi, I had made this suggestion and urged the Congress to take a lead,” said Nitish, adding that only a reactive narrative would not be useful for unity talks.
Referring to Bihar’s Mahagathbandhan, he said it is based on clear agenda finalised by all stakeholders and this unity proved stronger than the NDA. “On national level, this kind of alliance could be possible with an alternative narrative,” he said.
Asked to reveal his views on such alternative agenda, Nitish said, “I am not as much qualified for this job and this has to be done by all.”
The CM lamented that the presidential election has been so much politicised and highlighted that other burning issues like farmers’ problems have been put on hold or ignored. Nitish once again reiterated that he is not in the PM race in 2019 since he leads a small party.
On presidential poll, he said different parties have different opinions and decisions and there is nothing wrong in this. “Our party’s stand is very clear and it will have no adverse impact on our alliance Government. Our priority is to run this Government smoothly and there is absolutely no problem in its running,” he claimed.
Reacting to a report that the family of a TV scribe while travelling with him through Muzaffarpur a few days back was forced by alleged Bajrang Dal activists chanting Jai Shri Ram amid threat that their vehicle will be torched, the CM said such things are intolerable and no slackness on the part of the police is acceptable.
He said the matter had neither been reported to the police nor he got input from any other official source yet he asked the DGP top take suo motto cognizance of the incident as it appeared in some portals and act firmly treating it as information.
On not attending the midnight programme for GST launch at Central Hall of Parliament, Nitish said he did not get any official invitation. He added that he has sent Minister of Commercial Taxes Bijendra Prasad Yadav and JD(U) MPs to attend the event.
The JD(U) national president was still not very clear on his participation in the RJD’s proposed August 27 BJP bhagao, Desh bachao rally and reiterated that he was not averse of attending the rally. Asked if he has not been invited by lalu Prasad, he did not answer. He did not react even on repeated query as to why his ally had still not extended invitation to him while leaders like Mamata Banerjee and Mulayam Singh Yadav had already been invited. Bihar RJD president Ram Chandra Purbe said that lalu had already handed over the invitation to Nitish.
Meanwhile, the Congress downplayed the Bihar CM’s Sunday’s criticism that it was responsible for the mess the Opposition found itself in. The party said Nitish’s remarks will not impact the Bihar mahagathbandhan or any efforts to cement Opposition’s unity.
When asked on the future of the alliance in Bihar and also the unity in Opposition was at stake, AICC spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said that the Opposition will remain in good health and spirit. “Both the mahagathbandhan and Opposition unity platform will remain intact. Nitish himself has clarified it,” Singhvi said at the AICC briefing.
Singhvi said that the issue of presidential candidate nomination is over and nothing should be read from it since our own party chief Sonia Gandhi has earlier clarified that all the parties have their own right and can decide on the candidate. “We are intact with JD(U), RJD and others in the mahagathbandhan and will continue to do our work together as Opposition and for its unity,” he said.
The Congress central leadership, however, feels that the trust quotient has now been dented enough both in political and public perception after Nitish’s pro-Centre decisions on issues like his backing of demonetisation, supporting BJP’s presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind, and JD(U)’s participation in the GST rollout function at Parliament.
Nitish anger on the Congress has surfaced due to Ghulam Nabi Azad’s comment “people who believe in one principle make one decision, but those who believe in many make different decisions.”