'Congress knew this': Kharge targets Nitish Kumar, calls him a person like 'Aaya Ram-Gaya Ram'

In his first reaction soon after Nitish Kumar dumped the RJD in Bihar, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said he knew that the JDU chief would leave and that Lalu and Tejashwi Yadav had told him about this. Targeting Nitish, Kharge said there were many people like 'Aaya Ram-Gaya Ram' in the country. "Earlier, he and I were fighting together. When I talked to Lalu ji and Tejashwi ji, they also said that Nitish is going," Kharge said.

Also read: Nitish Kumar resigns as Bihar CM in big setback for INDIA bloc, to form govt with BJP

"If he (Nitish) wanted to stay, he would have stayed but he wants to go. Therefore, we already knew this, but we did not say anything to keep the INDIA alliance intact. If we say something wrong, the wrong message will be sent. Lalu Prasad Yadav ji and Tejashwi Yadav ji had already given us this information. Today it became true," the Congress chief said.

However, JDU's KC Tyagi hit back at the Congress, saying the grand old party wanted to steal the leadership of the INDIA alliance. "In the meeting that took place on 19th December, through a conspiracy, to get the leadership of the INDIA alliance, Mallikarjun Kharge's name was proposed (as PM face), earlier in the meeting that took place in Mumbai, it was unanimously decided that without any PM face, INDIA alliance will work."

"Through a conspiracy, Mamata Banerjee was made to propose Kharge's name as PM face...all other parties have made their own identity by fighting against Congress. Congress kept dragging the seat sharing, we kept saying that seat sharing needs to happen immediately. INDIA lacked plans to fight against BJP," Tyagi said.

Earlier today, Nitish Kumar resigned as the Bihar Chief Minister, ending the days of speculation. He is likely to take oath as NDA chief minister at 5 pm. Kumar was the key architect of the INDIA alliance and hosted its first meeting in June last year. However, he was not happy with the pace at which the Congress which moving in the alliance. Nitish had also blamed the Congress for the delay in seat-sharing. He was also hoping to be named as the convenor but no decision was taken on this till the third meeting in Mumbai. 

Today, Congress communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh called Nitish Kumar a 'chameleon' and said that the people of Bihar will not forgive his "betrayal". "Nitish Kumar, who frequently changes political partners, is giving tough competition to the chameleons in changing colours. The people of Bihar will not forgive the experts of this betrayal and those who made them dance to their tune," he said.