Nitish's return to NDA will have no impact on oppn bloc INDIA: Jairam Ramesh

A day after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ditched the 'Mahagathbandhan' to return to the BJP-led NDA, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday claimed that the JD(U) supremo's exit will have "absolutely no impact" on the opposition bloc INDIA. Interacting with reporters in Kishanganj during the Congress' 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra', Ramesh mocked Kumar, saying 'Aaya Kumar, Gaya Kumar'.

Speaking on Kumar allying with the BJP-led NDA, he said, "It will not have any impact on the INDIA alliance... absolutely no impact. This is typical of Nitish Kumar. It is not 'Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram', it is 'Aaya Kumar, Gaya Kumar'."

The Congress leader also alleged that "Kumar's betrayal" was "masterminded by the prime minister".


"When 'Bharat Jodo Nayay Yatra' started on January 14 from Manipur's Thoubal, PM Modi found the 'muhurat' to sway Milind Deora from the Congress so that the headlines become 'Milind Deora' instead of 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra'," he alleged.

"They (BJP) were stressed with Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra's entry to Bihar. So, they asked the 'flipping master' (referring to Nitish Kumar) to do a flip... and he did that," he said.

Ramesh claimed that the Congress received a tremendous response from the people of Kishanganj after the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' reached the district this morning.

Later in the evening, Gandhi's yatra entered Araria district.

Interacting with reporters in Araria, Ramesh, said, "A large number of people participated in the padayatra in Araria... people of Bihar are welcoming the yatra with great enthusiasm. Like Assam and Bengal, the yatra is getting a great response in Bihar too."

"BJP leaders sitting in Delhi and conspiring to stop the yatra must understand that this yatra is not going to stop until people get their right to justice. People are fed up with the 10-year rule of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. The PM calls his tenure 'Amrit Kaal' whereas it is actually 'Anyay Kaal' (period of injustice)," Ramesh said.

The senior Congress leader said that Gandhi will address a mega rally in Purnea on Tuesday.

Gandhi will address another mega rally in Ranchi either on February 5 or 6, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also expected to be present in it, Ramesh said.

Kumar on Sunday took oath as the chief minister of Bihar for a record ninth time after a dramatic volte-face, ditching the 'Mahagathbandhan' and the opposition bloc INDIA and forming a new government with the BJP, which he had dumped less than 18 months ago.

Kumar's latest crossover, his fifth in a little over a decade, capped days of high political drama and blame game. It is also seen as a big setback for the opposition unity ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.