After the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured an absolute majority in the Bihar Assembly elections, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his support. He also saluted the people of the state for giving majority to the NDA.
"I salute the people for the majority they have given to the NDA. I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his support," Kumar tweeted in his first reaction after the ruling coalition won the majority in Bihar.
On Tuesday, the NDA won 125 seats in the 243-member Bihar Assembly, with BJP winning in 74 of the 110 seats it contested and JD(U) bagging 43 seats out of the 115 seats it fought. Among the NDA allies, four seats went into the accounts of the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) and four to Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular). With 125 seats, the NDA went past the halfway mark by more than three seats. Meanwhile, the opposition Mahagathbandhan settled for 110.
Nitish Kumar's tweet on Wednesday came as PM Modi was addressing the party workers in Delhi after the Bihar results. Addressing party workers, PM Modi asserted that the only mantra for his party's victory was "Sabka saath, sabka vikas and sabka vishwas".
Modi added the poll results in Bihar and other bye-elections across the country have made it clear that people will now support only those who work honestly for development. "People have decided that development alone will be basis of national politics in 21st century," he said.
Taking a jibe at the Congress and the RJD, PM Modi said family-run parties are the biggest threat to the democracy.
Meanwhile, even as the BJP won more seats than JD(U), the saffron party has decided to fulfil their pre-poll commitment. On Wednesday, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Sushil Modi reiterated that Nitish Kumar will be Chief Minister of Bihar and said, "there is no question of replacing him".
"There is no confusion on the issue of Nitish Kumar as Chief Minister of Bihar. The decision was taken before the polls and it will remain same," he said. "In alliance, sometimes a partner wins more and the other one is able to secure fewer seats. But we are equal partners, people voted for National Democratic Alliance (NDA)," he added.
With Nitish Kumar all set to become the Chief Minister of Bihar once again, this will be his seventh time. Besides, Kumar may take oath as Chief Minister post-Diwali, said JD(U) leader KC Tyagi. Speaking to India Today, Tyagi said, "Nitish Kumar may take oath as the next chief minister after Diwali."
