The Janata Dal (U) has vehemently denied reports that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has any intention to move to the Rajya Sabha or take up any other Constitutional posts and hand over the reins of power to the BJP in Bihar.
“Kumar will complete his five-year-tenure and is not going anywhere,” senior leaders of the JD(U) asserted on Friday.
The clarification came after a section of media sought to interpret Kumar’s casual remarks made during an informal interaction with journalists two days back that he would not contest the next Lok Sabha polls and the Rajya Sabha was “the only House” he has not been a member of.
His remarks gave grist to the rumour mills that were churning stories for several weeks that Kumar would move to the Rajay Sabha and then be put up as NDA vice-presidential candidate.
“Oh dear! Respectable Kumar has got the mandate to serve the people of Bihar for five years. This means he is not going anywhere. He is the Chief Minister and will continue in the capacity,” tweeted Upendra Kushwaha, the JD(U)’s parliamentary board chief.
Sanjay Kumar Jha, the Minister for the Information and Public Relations Department who is also a national general secretary of the party, saw the rumour surrounding the CM as a “propaganda” that will “yield little”.
“I'm intrigued at the rumour that CM @NitishKumar is contemplating going to the Rajya Sabha! This is mischievous, and far from the truth. Kumar has the people's mandate to serve Bihar and will continue to do so for the full term as Chief Minister. He is not going anywhere!,” Jha tweeted.
“Kumar was the face of the NDA in the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, and people voted this alliance to power. His unwavering commitment to serve people & ability to transform #Bihar are sacrosanct. I urge all to desist from such propaganda, which shall yield little,” he said in another tweet.