Patna: JDU national president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday set at rest all speculations about differences between the BJP and JDU in Bihar and claimed the tie up will continue till the 2020 assembly elections. He also cautioned "those trying to create differences will face the worst after the elections". He was reacting to the statements of some BJP leaders challenging his leadership in 2020 elections.
Addressing the state council of JDU at Ravindra Bhawan here, Nitish predicted NDA will get over 200 out of 243 seats in Bihar assembly elections next year. In 2010 elections, BJP and JDU combine had won 206 seats. Nitish felicitated Bashistha Naraian Singh, who was elected state JDU president for third consecutive term and asserted that those trying to create rift between his JD(U) and alliance partner BJP will be in trouble.
He was referring to the statements of senior BJP leaders Giriraj Singh, CP Thakur and Sanjay Paswan. He said people "lacking political acumen" were trying to gain publicity by launching personal attacks on him. The senior BJP leaders had claimed due to popularity of Narendra Modi, BJP will get majority on its own in the elections and suggested tie up with JDU should be withdrawn.
"Many of them have shamelessly admitted that they did so because it was their USP, " the CM said. Kumar also urged his partymen to avoid reacting to "slanderous" remarks made against him. Giririaj immediately tweeted while reacting to Nitish's statement and said he stands by his earlier statements. Nitish reiterated the statement of Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, last week when his junior had said Nitish Kumar was captain of NDA in Bihar and was hitting fours and sixes. Nitish will be captain in 2020 too, Modi said that when he was defeating the opposition regularly, there was no question of changing the captain.
Another union minister, Ashwini Kumar Chaubey, forecast a BJP leader would be elected chief minister after 2020 elections. .
