I don’t want to become anything: Nitish Kumar on PM ambition

India

oi-Prakash KL

Patna, Aug 24: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday slammed former ally BJP for allegedlt spreading rumours that he was having prime ministerial ambitions and said that he does not want to become “anything”.

Speaking in the Assembly, Kumar said, “Those who say that I have pulled out of the alliance because I want to become something, I don’t want to become anything,”

Nitish Kumar then stated that he was not keen to become CM in 2020 but the BJP made him take up the post. “I had said that you (BJP) have won more seats, CM should be from your party. A lot of pressure was put upon me to be the CM, I became ready in the end. But the person whom I raised from the ground to the top in my party. I was the national president of the party, but I appointed him to that post. My party members used to tell me that something wrong is taking place. But I did not listen,” ANI quoted him as saying.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was on Wednesday accused of having lost “political credibility” by his former deputy and senior BJP leader Tarkishore Prasad. Prasad made the remark while taking part in a debate on the motion of confidence brought by the new ‘Mahagathbandhan’ government.

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The BJP leader mocked Kumar’s “personal ambition to become the prime minister despite not having the ability to become the chief minister on his own steam”. “Personal ambition caused him to ditch BJP in 2013 and again nine years later,” said the BJP leader who also raked up sidelining of leaders like George Fernandes and Sharad Yadav by Kumar to make his point, drawing angry response from JD(U) members.

“He remains the CM though his deputy keeps changing. He is like a batsman who causes others to get run out to remain on the pitch. RJD should remember that its president Lalu Prasad had compared him to a snake that sheds its skin,” alleged the BJP leader.

The BJP leader taunted Kumar for JD(U)’s drubbing in 2014 Lok Sabha polls and claimed that the party’s tally shot up to 16 in the state five years later “only because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi”. “He wants to become PM though it may be his last innings as CM. He has lost political credibility,” Prasad added.