JDU subtly hits back at BJP; 'if Nitish Kumar were to be PM, numbers wouldn't be an issue'

Once again asserting that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was 'Prime Minister material', the Janata Dal-United on Monday underlined that the 'numbers would not be a problem' if the party staked a claim at the highest seat of power in the country. The Bharatiya Janata Party had said that one needed the support of 272 MPs to become the PM and that the JD(U) was unlikely to win as many seats on its own, and therefore, Nitish Kumar's appointment was unlikely. 

Speaking to the media, JDU's parliamentary board chief Upendra Kushwah said, "Kyun nahi hosakta? (Why isn't it possible?) " 

'Nitish Kumar says 'Not interested'

Earlier this month, Upendra Kushwah, right after being named the leader of the JD(U) parliamentary party, had called Nitish Kumar 'PM material'. "People made Narendra Modi PM today and he's doing good work. But there are others in the country who have the potential to become PM, one of them is Nitish Kumar. He should be called PM-material and it's not about challenging PM Modi," Kushwaha had said.

However,  Nitish Kumar had made it clear that he is 'not interested'. Speaking to the media,  the JDU chief said," There's nothing like this. Why should I be (PM Material)? I am not interested in all these things".

This, however, had led to discussions and debates in the camp of the BJP, which is now a senior partner in the alliance in Bihar. While some agreed that Nitish was a Prime Minister material, but pointed that there was 'no vacancy', others rejected the idea altogether, claiming that it was not possible for the JDU, and its chief to claim the highest stake with just influence in Bihar, and the nearby regions. 

Opposition thinks otherwise 

It is pertinent to mention that the Opposition in Bihar for a very long time, has been claiming that Nitish Kumar is eyeing the chair of the Prime Minister. Now ousted chief of Lok Janshakti Party Chirag Paswan, recently in a press briefing said that the Bihar Chief Minister was planning to ditch the BJP, and join hands with the Rashtriya Janata Dal, and other parties, and was therefore going against the Central government on issues such as caste-based census, Pegasus among others.

Sensing that it might be because of Nitish Kumar's desire for the chair of the Prime Minister, Chirag who has effectively been kicked out of his own party, jokingly added, "He is not even a Chief Ministerial candidate."