"I have no personal ambitions": Nitish on speculations that he may be appointed 'INDIA' convener

Reiterating that his drive to forge opposition unity was prompted by "no personal ambitions", Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said that he would like someone else to be made convener of the opposition coalition INDIA.

The JD (U) leader said this while responding to questions about speculations that the coalition’s upcoming meeting in Mumbai could see him being made Convener of the formation comprising more than two dozen parties opposed to the BJP.

"I have been maintaining it since the beginning that I have no desire for myself…I have no personal ambitions… Mujhe Kuch Nahi Chahiye (I don’t want anything –post). Somebody else could be given the responsibility (Convener post). My only wish is to unite the maximum number of parties (opposed to BJP) before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. I am working only in this direction", said Kumar.

"We all are going to attend the meeting in Mumbai to discuss INDIA's future strategies," he added.

The Bihar CM on Sunday also said that "a few more" political parties were likely to join INDIA when the opposition coalition will hold its next meeting at Mumbai.

"We will discuss issues related to seat sharing and will also finalise several other agendas in Mumbai meet. A few more political parties will join the INDIA and it will be announced in the next meeting", Kumar, who played an instrumental role in bringing together different parties opposed to the BJP, had said.

He, however, did not reveal the names of the likely entrants.

The 26-party opposition alliance, which has been formed to jointly take on the ruling BJP at the Centre in next year’s elections, have already met twice – first in Patna on June 23 and then in Bengaluru on July 17-18. The opposition bloc is set to hold its third meeting in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1 for further talks.

When asked about Bihar BJP president Samrat Chaudhary's latest remark that India got Independence in real terms when the government was formed only after Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan's complete revolution in 1977, Kumar said, "Everybody knows the fact that when did India get the independence. Not knowing the date of India's independence is illegal. But anyway…just leave it…I don't pay attention to what BJP leaders say".

While speaking at a function here on Sunday, the Bihar BJP President had said, "I do not think that India became an Independent country in 1947. It was only because of the government that was formed in 1977 after Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan's complete revolution, the country got true freedom".