Doors of grand alliance shut on turncoat Nitish Kumar, says Tejashwi Yadav

There is no chance of extending an invitation to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for joining the Grand Alliance in the state ahead of the 2019 general elections, said RJD leader and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Tejashwi Yadav, putting to rest all speculation about Nitish Kumar being a part of the alliance.

“Despite being the single largest party in the Bihar assembly, we made him the chief minister but he changed sides within 17 months. How can we trust him?” said Tejashwi Yadav said.

“He has committed four mistakes in four years. Before elections he formed a coalition with us and said that it was a mistake to form the government with the BJP. After 18 months he once again said that he committed a mistake (by forming a government with RJD). He has been changing sides constantly since 2010. Who, after all, is being affected by it? The people of Bihar, the development of Bihar, where four governments have been formed in four years with only one chief minister who has struck a deal with every party and betrayed them too,” emphasised Tejashwi.

"Why should we join hands with those who have insulted the mandate of the people. We will not allow their entry into the Grand Alliance,” said Tejashwi, who was the former Deputy Chief Minister.

When reporters had asked him whether allies of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)—Congress and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM)—had invited Nitish Kumar to join the Grand Alliance with certain conditions, Tejashwi, the younger son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, categorically said that the doors of the Grand Alliance were closed for Nitish Kumar. “People also want this as he has proved to be a ‘palturam’ (a turncoat).”

He, however, said that the Grand Alliance was ready to welcome Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ally Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) chief and Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha. "We will welcome his (Kushwaha) entry into Grand Alliance."

It was being widely speculated that senior Congress leader Shakti Singh Gohil, who is party in-charge for Bihar, has asked Nitish Kumar to join the Grand Alliance. Another ally, HAM chief and former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi had also allegedly extended an invitation on the condition that Tejashwi would be the chief ministerial candidate in the 2020 Bihar Assembly polls.

The Grand Alliance comprises the Congress, RJD and the HAM. In February this year, the HAM walked out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and joined the Grand Alliance.

Last July, Nitish Kumar, who is also Janata Dal-United (JD-U) president, joined hands with the BJP and formed the government in the state after dumping the Congress and the RJD.

In the 2015 state polls, the Grand Alliance of JD-U, RJD and the Congress had defeated the BJP-led NDA.

With inputs from IANS