Bihar: Reports on Nitish 'Unhappy' Over Kharge as Probable INDIA Bloc PM Face are Baseless: JD-U

Patna: Amid the ongoing speculation over reports that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is unhappy after not being named as convenor of the Opposition alliance, Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) or its Prime Ministerial candidate, his party Janata Dal (United) (JD-U) national president Lalan Singh on Thursday said  Kumar was not unhappy and the reports wewre "baseless,"

Since the name of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was proposed as Prime Ministerial candidate at the fourth meeting of the Opposition alliance meeting in Delhi on Tuesday (December 19), some local Hindi dailies as well as national media claimed that Kumar was "unhappy". 

Singh made it clear on Thursday that there was no question of any such thing. "Kumar is not unhappy. Such reports were baseless and cooked. The Opposition alliance is united and will fight collectively against the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The much awaited seat sharing will be finalised soon, and joint public meetings will be held that will be attended by leaders of the alliance," Singh told NewsClick.

Singh, who is considered close to Kumar said that it was reported that Kumar left the Opposition alliance meeting without addressing its press conference. "There is no truth in it. Kumar was there till the end of the meeting, and we informed Kharge, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi before leaving. It was decided in the meeting itself that one or two leaders will address the media,” he said.

Singh recalled that Kumar had repeatedly clarified that he doesn't want any post in the alliance but "only a strong and united Opposition."

The JD-U leader further said that the seat-sharing issue was discussed in the meeting, and it was decided that it would be finalised in all the states in the next two to three weeks.

Singh also said there was nothing 'special' when all the JD-U's 16 MPs (Lok Sabha) met Kumar in Delhi after the Opposition alliance meeting. The party MPs wanted to meet Kumar, and he met them.

According to Singh, much before the date of the INDIA bloc meeting was made public, JD-U had announced its national executive meeting in Delhi on December 29, and now the party national council meeting would be held on the same day there. "Why are some people reading so much about the party's decision to convene the JD-U national council meeting the day the party national executive meeting was planned in Delhi? It is usual to meet and discuss about party's strategy ahead of next year's elections,” he said.

However, Kumar himself is yet to say a word after attending the meeting of the Opposition alliance and its outcome.

Some of his party's leaders- including two Bihar ministers, some MLAs and three MPs expressed their reservations over the name of Kharge being put forward for the top post of the Opposition alliance and projected Kumar as the 'best name' for it.

In Patna, some JD-U leaders put up banners and posters on Tuesday claiming that only Kumar was the "guarantee of victory."

Earlier on Sunday (December 17), some JD-U leaders raised the issue of naming Kumar as the convenor of the Opposition alliance. A big hoarding was put up outside the JD-U state headquarters here with a clear message in Hindi: "Desh Mange Nitish Kumar 2024 Mein" (The country wants Nitish Kumar in 2024).

Another senior JD-U leader said the party was a part of the INDIA bloc and was likely to go into campaign mode after its important meetings in Delhi in the early new year. 

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad on Thursday also refuted media reports that Kumar was unhappy. "It was reported that Lalu and Kumar were unhappy, and both left the meeting. But the fact is that none of us are unhappy. Whatever is reported in media was wrong and far from the truth," Yadav told reporters in Delhi before leaving for Patna.  

A leader of RJD also said that the party was almost ready with its plan to contest polls together and unite to take on the BJP.

Bihar's ruling grand coalition (Mahagathbandan) —comprising JD(U), RJD, Congress, Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninist) Liberation (CPI(ML), Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M) and the Communist Party of India (CPI)- is considered a strong political force in the state compared with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

In the last Lok Sabha polls in 2019, JD-U won 16 parliamentary seats when it contested along with BJP, which won 17 seats of Bihar's 40 seats. Six seats were won by another BJP ally, LJP, and only one seat was won by the opposition Congress.