‘Upset with Kharge’s name as PM face,’ JDU leader ahead of national meet

Delhi: As the Janata Dal (United) is holding a two-day national executive meeting starting Friday, December 29, in the national capital, JD(U) leaders reiterated the demand for appointing Bihar CM Nitish Kumar as the prime ministerial face of the opposition alliance Indian National Developmental Inclusive (INDI) alliance. 

Maheshwar Hazari, the Deputy Speaker of Bihar legislative assembly said that the party was upset with Mallikarjun Kharge being named as the opposition’s PM face as he put forth the demand to project Nitish Kumar, suggesting that he is the most eligible. 

“We were upset with Mallikarjun kharges name as opposition face , we still demand that nitish kumar should be made PM face and JDU will keep putting poster and demanding because our leader’s stature is too big and he should be given national responsibility by the Opposition bloc,” said Maheshwar Hazari while speaking exclusively with Republic. 

Earlier, another JD(U) leader had expressed his anger over Kharge being declared by the Congress party as the Opposition’s PM face through the grand old party’s “Kharge for PM” call. “Who is Kharge-Varge? Nobody knows Kharge. You told me that he is the Congress president. Public knows Nitish ji. Nitish ji will be PM. Who knows Kharge-Varge” said JD(U) MLA Gopal Mandal. Miffed over the same, Nitish Kumar had also called an emergency meeting of all his MPs in Patna. 

Will Nitish Kumar replace Lalan Singh? 

The key national executive meeting is being held amid a buzz that party president Lalan Singh may step down to make way for Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Kumar, Singh and other senior leaders of the party are attending the meeting.

It will be followed by the party's national council meeting later in the day which will ratify decisions taken in the executive.

Both Kumar and Singh have played down the reports of key changes being adopted in the party and have called these meetings routine.