‘Now I will stay here forever’: Nitish Kumar swears allegiance to NDA

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who has been facing immense criticism for switching sides yet again to join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), said on Wednesday that he will stay with them forever and continue to work for the people in the state. Kumar has been facing the opposition’s ire after he dumped the ‘mahagathbandhan’ or grand alliance and the INDIA bloc to form a new government in Bihar with the support of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 

Nitish Kumar said that despite his requests to pick another name the INDIA bloc decided to christen the alliance INDIA. “I was urging them to choose another name for the alliance. But they had already finalized it. I was trying so hard. They did not do even one thing. Till today they haven't decided which party will contest how many seats. Then I left them and came back to who I was with initially. Now I will stay here forever. I will keep working for the people of Bihar,” he told reporters, as mentioned in a report by ANI.

He also told reporters that the budget session of the state legislature will begin on February 10 and will end on March 1. He said that the BJP-JDU-led NDA government will seek a vote of confidence on February 10. Nitish Kumar added that the alliance is in a comfortable position regarding the majority. 

Meanwhile, the Congress and RJD have accused Nitish Kumar of being a master of U-turns. Congress General Secretary (Communication) Jairam Ramesh said, “I thought Narendra Modi was a master of U-turns but Nitish Kumar has left even the master of U-turns behind.”  

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said at a rally in Purnia,  "Understand why Nitish Ji got stuck. I told him straight that 'you will have to conduct a caste census in Bihar'. And we (Congress), along with RJD, insisted on Nitish ji conducting the survey. But the BJP got scared. They are opposed to this plan. Nitish ji got stuck and BJP provided him the back door to run away!" 

Nitish Kumar took oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar for the ninth time. He had jumped ship for the second time in two years, and five times in a little over 10 years.

(With agency inputs)

Also read: Nitish Kumar quit INDIA bloc due to Bihar caste survey, claims Rahul Gandhi