Nitish Kumar vows “never to ally with BJP again”, says will work with ‘samajwadis’ for country’s progress

Samastipur (Bihar) [India], October 15 (ANI): Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday vowed that he would never ally with the Bharatiya Janata Party again, and said that he will work for the progress of the country along with Bihar.
The Chief Minister hit out at the BJP for targeting him since the split of the BJP-JD(U) alliance in August this year, and alleged that the former ally is trying to create a conflict in the Mahagathbandan.
Nitish’s remarks came while inaugurating an engineering college built at a cost of Rs 75 crore in Samastipur.
“BJP people keep talking nonsense. I had left Mahagathbandhan and joined the NDA (in 2017), but now I have returned. The BJP wants that the conflict among us should rise to such an extent that we become frustrated. The BJP is attacking me nowadays,” he said.
Recalling his relations with former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and other veteran leaders of the BJP, Kumar said, “They (BJP) have forgotten that Atal Bihari Vajpayee had become the Prime Minister in 1998. He had made me a Union Minister then. I was assigned three ministries. Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi worked for the development of the country. Those sitting at the Centre today have nothing to do with development,” Kumar said.
He alleged that the BJP is working to create conflict in society.
“The BJP is working to create conflict in society. It has got nothing to do with the country’s progress. I will never ally with the BJP ever in my life. I will stay with the Samajwadis (socialists) and take the country forward along with Bihar,” the Chief Minister said.
Earlier on October 11, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while apparently targetting Nitish Kumar drew a parallel with the current politics in Bihar, saying JP never did anything for power and worked for principles all his life while “people who switched sides for power is Chief Minister of Bihar”.
“I ask people of Bihar – leaders who achieved heights through the JP movement are sitting in Congress’ lap for power; are you with them?” the Home Minister said.
The Home Minister lauded JP Narayan and said he never did anything for power and worked for principles all his life. “Today, people who switch sides for power are the Chief Minister of Bihar”, he added.
Amit Shah further added, “This is not the path shown by him (Jayparakash Narayan). He never did anything for power and worked for principles all his life. Today, people who switch sides 5 times for power are the CM of Bihar”. (ANI)