'Nitish Kumar not a PM face but can be an option if Opposition wants': His Party's Chief

Days after the change of guard was witnessed in Bihar, JDU National President Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh once again stated that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is not a contender for the opposition's Prime Minister face, as per PTI reports. However, he added that the option can be considered if other parties want him to lead the opposition against BJP in the 2024 General elections. At present, CM Nitish is working towards creating a united opposition to take on BJP, added Lalan Singh.

"Nitish Kumar is not a contender for the opposition's Prime Ministerial face but can be an option if other parties want so or all parties should fight unitedly to defeat the BJP and decide later who will be their leader. Both options are there. Nitish Kumar will work on bringing all other parties fighting the BJP on one platform to pose a united challenge to its rule", said JD(U) chief Lalan Singh. 

On August 12, JDU's Rajiv Singh slammed BJP and held it responsible for breaking the alliance between them. He said, "This National Democratic Alliance was born out of Atal-Advani Ji’s thoughts. When Atal Ji was leading the BJP and when NDA was formed in 1996, we parted in 2013. There was never any difference in NDA even for 17 seconds in 17 years. Today, the people of the BJP, who are in power, they are not ready to give respect to allies. The BJP kept disrespecting the JDU time and again,” the JDU leader alleged.

Change of guard in Bihar

Five years after returning to the NDA fold, Nitish Kumar took another U-turn on August 9 and broke ties with BJP with whom he fought the general and state assembly elections. He formed a government in Bihar with the help of his former alliances in Mahagathbandhan by joining hands with RJD, Congress, and the Left once again. He submitted his resignation to Bihar Governor Phagu Chauhan and staked claim to form the Mahagatbandhan government. Thus, only BJP and the lone AIMIM MLA constitute the opposition space in Bihar now.

On August 10, Nitish Kumar and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav were sworn in as the CM and Deputy CM respectively at the Raj Bhawan. This is Nitish Kumar's 8th term as the Chief Minister of Bihar. 

(Image: PTI)