Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday asserted that the JD(U)바카라s realignment with the BJP half a decade ago, which came to an abrupt end last year, had been to the detriment of his party.
The JD(U) leader was replying to queries from journalists in Banka district, which he visited as part of the 바카라Samadhan Yatra바카라 mass outreach programme.
He was asked about the 바카라open letter바카라 to the party cadre from disgruntled parliamentary board chief Upendra Kushwaha, who has convened a two-day meeting next week to discuss the 바카라gradual erosion of support base바카라 of the JD(U) and anxieties over a rumoured 바카라deal바카라 with the RJD, its current ally.
A visibly peeved Kumar sought to remind Kushwaha that the latter has been always rewarded by the party despite having ditched it repeatedly and 바카라if he keeps airing his grievances in public then it will be construed as he has other plans for himself바카라.
When asked whether he thought Kushwaha was forcing his hand at the BJP's behest, Kumar replied cryptically, 바카라You can draw your conclusions. How much publicity this affair is getting바카라 I have never seen such spotlight on my party바카라.
However, the wily leader indicated that he was giving a long rope to the intransigent party functionary saying, 바카라I have said it and so has our national president that nobody needs to react to whatever he (Kushwaha) says바카라.
He, however, ridiculed Kushwaha for the repeated claim that the party was growing weak, pointing out that 바카라our recent membership drive swelled the party ranks like never before바카라.
바카라The only instance when the party did suffer harm was during our alliance in 2017,바카라 said Kumar, in an obvious reference to the BJP which he did not mention by name.
Recounting the 2019 Lok Sabha polls which JD(U) and BJP contested together, along with late Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP and the clean sweep made by the NDA, Kumar referred to the trajectory followed by the saffron party thereafter.
바카라We had asked for three to four berths (in the Union cabinet) but they said they will not give more than one, so we did not join. In the assembly polls (in 2020) we supported them but the way a campaign was run against our (JDU) candidates바카라has there been any such precedent?바카라 asked Kumar.
The reference was to the rebellion by the LJP, then headed by Paswan's son Chirag, who fielded candidates in all seats contested by the JD(U) vowing to dislodge the CM from power.
Many of the candidates of the LJP were BJP rebels, some of them prominent office-bearers, and the JD(U) was hit hard, with its tally plummeting from more than 70 in 2015 to less than 45.
바카라Let them (BJP) face the next elections and they will figure out where they stand,바카라 said Kumar, who now heads the multi-party 바카라Mahagathbandhan바카라 and braces for a 바카라national role바카라 in 2024 Lok Sabha polls wherein, he believes, a 바카라united opposition바카라 can defeat the seemingly invincible NDA.
Kumar also chided Kushwaha for becoming a killjoy for the JD(U) as well as the 바카라Mahagathbandhan바카라 and asserted, 바카라He was with us all through when new formation was taking shape바카라I wonder what has gone wrong with him in the last couple of months. I have expressed willingness to talk it over if he had any unmet expectations but he seems disinclined.바카라
Although Kushwaha had been one of the most combative leaders of the JD(U) in its war of words with the BJP, he has been in a sulk since Kumar made it clear that there would be no deputy CM besides Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD and also declared that the latter will 바카라lead바카라 the Mahagathbandhan in the next assembly polls.
Kushwaha, who had returned to the JD(U) in 2021 merging his Rashtriya Lok Samata Party, in his open letter made a mention of 바카라all former workers of the RLSP바카라 triggering speculations that it was a call for exit from the party.
Kumar, however, seemed unfazed and said, 바카라He has deserted the JD(U) twice in the past바카라if he wants to part ways again, nobody is going to stop him.바카라
