Why Nitish Kumar skipped RaGa’s crucial rally

Why Nitish Kumar skipped RaGa’s crucial rally

Smita MishraUpdated: Friday, May 31, 2019, 10:14 PM IST
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The JDU leadership has alleged that the Bihar CM was keen to share the stage with Sonia, but the Congress declined to consider any rescheduling.

New Delhi : Even as a slugfest is on over Rahul Gandhi’s sudden trip to the US, it now transpires that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar gave RaGa’s West Champaran rally a miss because the Congress refused to postpone the date for the event. The JDU leadership has alleged that the Bihar CM was keen to share the stage with the Congress vice president but the Congress displayed an unexpectedly rigid attitude and declined to consider any rescheduling. Rahul’s first and only rally in Bihar on September 19 turned out to be a lacklustre affair as both RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar refused to share stage with the Congress vice president.

Talking to FPJ, Nitish Kumar’s confidant and JDU Bihar unit president Basistha Narain Singh said, ”Nitish Kumar would have definitely joined the rally in Champaran but it was planned when we were all in the middle of hectic parleys over seat sharing and selection of candidates. Hence, we requested the Congress leaders to reschedule the programme for a mutually convenient date after the crucial seat sharing deadline. However, they refused to budge from their plan and therefore the chief minister was unable to attend. Till date we have not been able to understand the reasons behind the rigidity of the Congress leadership to hold the event at such an

inconvenient time”, Singh mused.  While Basistha Narain Singh stopped short of saying it, JDU sources indicated that the Congress Vice President”s plan to travel abroad must have been the reason.

On yet another sticking point, that of Sonia Gandhi addressing the crowds much before all the JDU and RJD top leaders at the Gandhi Maidan (Patna) rally of the grand alliance, the JDU leader put the blame squarely on the Congress. ”In complete deference to the political stature and respect for the Congress president, we had all decided that Soniaji must speak at the end. However, leaders of the Congress party involved in the discussions changed the plan and said she would rather speak in the middle of the show. The Congress leaders, however, added that she would stay till the end which she did”, Singh revealed to this correspondent even though he declined to name who were the leaders.  While expressing surprise about the Congress” attitude over Champaran rally, Singh said he was confident that there would be occasions for all the top leaders of the grand alliance to share stage during the month-long Bihar election campaign.

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