'Nitish Kumar feels cheated', says top BJP leader amid switchover speculations

BJP leader and and former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, Sushil Kumar Modi, addressed the circulating "speculations" regarding Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's potential return to the NDA camp on Wednesday. Modi dismissed these rumors, telling a news channel that the JD(U) was deliberately spreading them as part of a strategic move by Kumar to maintain control over his dominant allies, the RJD and the Congress.

According to Modi, the BJP has unequivocally closed its doors to Kumar, and he emphasized that both Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President JP Nadda had previously clarified this stance. Modi alleged that Kumar feels betrayed, especially after not being appointed as the convener of the INDIA bloc or declared as the PM face.

“He feels cheated,” Sushil Modi alleged.


He also suggested that the rumors also serve another purpose – preventing internal dissent within the JD(U). He claimed that factions within the party are divided, with one group favoring an alliance with the BJP, while another sees its future within the Grand Alliance alongwith RJD chief Lalu Prasad.

JD(U)'s National General Secretary Rajib Ranjan dismissed these allegations. His remark came in the backdrop of rumours that Kumar's key aide Rajiv Ranjan Singh 'Lalan' has told the former that he wanted to step down as JD(U) national president.

Meanwhile, the RJD asserted that everything is well within the ruling Grand Alliance, with discussions progressing to seat-sharing among alliance partners.

Even s the rumors persisted, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar avoided addressing questions about potential organizational changes within JD(U) during a party conclave. He dismissed the rumors, describing the meetings as routine and nothing out of the ordinary. Kumar also avoided direct responses to queries about his possible resignation or joining the NDA, despite claims by Sushil Kumar Modi regarding his unease within the INDIA alliance.

The JD(U) comes after a crucial INDIA alliance meeting in Delhi, that took place just a few days earlier. The JDU, a member of the alliance, is set to engage in intense discussions with the Congress and RJD regarding the seat-sharing arrangement for the state. Amidst these deliberations, numerous JDU leaders are advocating for Nitish to assume leadership of the INDIA bloc. This unfolds as Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal have publicly declared Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge as a potential candidate for the position of Prime Minister.

On December 22, JDU MLA Gopal Mandal had said, "People won't recognize Mallikarjun Kharge; they are unaware of who he is. It was only upon hearing his name that I became acquainted with him. I didn't even know he is the national president of Congress... Nobody is familiar with him. The general public doesn't recognize him; they know Nitish Kumar. He will become the Prime Minister because everyone is familiar with him." (With PTI and ANI inputs)