BJP Bihar unit president Samrat Choudhary on May 1 made a veiled attack on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar claiming that the Janata Dal (United) will not open its account in the 2024 Lok Sabha poll. Mr. Choudhary was speaking on the speculation of Mr. Kumar contesting the election from his pocket borough, Nalanda.
“Let Nitish Kumar contest the Lok Sabha election from any seat, the people have already decided what to do. His party will not even open the account so there is no question of Nitish Kumar winning the Lok Sabha seat. He has become irrelevant in politics though he has been serving Bihar for the past 18 years as Chief Minister,“ Mr. Choudhary said at the party office during a press meet.
On Sunday, the Bihar Chief Minister had sidestepped a query about the possibility of contesting the next year’s Lok Sabha poll from Nalanda. Sitting JD(U) MP Kaushalendra Kumar went one step ahead saying that he was willing to give up the seat if his mentor decides to enter the fray.
Mr. Choudhary further clarified that Nalanda was not the pocket borough seat of JD(U) rather it was the seat of his mentor late George Fernandes who had won the election thrice in a row in 1996, 1998 and 1999.
The BJP State president stressed that Mr. Kumar dreams to become the Prime Minister, and the last time when he dreamt his party had won only two seats in 2014.
“In 2014 Lok Sabha poll, Nitish got two seats and in 2024, he will get zero seats. There is no vacancy of the PM post because it is already occupied by the son of an extremely backward class,” Mr. Choudhary said.
‘Hand over CM post’
Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Modi advised Mr. Kumar to first hand over the Chief Minister’s chair to Tejashwi Yadav and then contest the Lok Sabha election.
“Before contesting the election, Nitish ji has to hand over the chair of Chief Minister to Tejashwi Yadav. Is Nitish Kumar ready to leave his chair? Kaushalendra or any other leader will vacate the seat for Nitish but the big question is whether he will leave the CM’s post? Can he be a Member of Parliament and CM both?” the BJP leader asked.
Meanwhile, Mr. Choudhary announced he will sit on a dharna on May 3 in Sasaram to protest the arrest of former BJP MLA Jawahar Prasad. Mr. Prasad was arrested in connection with a case related to communal violence which had rocked the town after a Ram Navami procession on March 31. Mr. Prasad, a five-time MLA from Sasaram since 1990, had been denied a ticket in the 2020 Assembly election.
Mr. Choudhary also said that he will visit Biharsharif on May 5 to meet the family members of teenager Gulshan Kumar who died during the Ram Navami procession.
Published - May 01, 2023 08:02 pm IST
