Elections 2014: BJP dismisses Nitish Kumar resignation as a stunt

PATNA: BJP termed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's resignation as a "natak" only to put pressure on ruling JD-U legislators who are likely to desert him after the party's rout in the general elections. Nitish Kumar resigned Saturday, taking moral responsibility for the debacle of his party in the Lok Sabha polls in the state. Senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi described the resignation as a political stunt and a drama.

"There is nothing new in it, Nitish Kumar is habitual of resigning. He had resigned when a rail accident took place during his tenure as union railway minister and later withdrew it," Modi said in his latest tweet. Leader of the opposition and senior BJP leader Nand Kishore Yadav said it is nothing but a "natak" by Nitish Kumar. "It is part of his strategy to end a revolt-like situation among his party legislators," Yadav said.

He said the people of Bihar had rejected the JD-U in the polls. "If Nitish Kumar was serious about his resignation, why did he not recommend dissolution of the assembly," he said. State BJP president Mangal Pandey told media persons that the BJP is keeping a close watch on the situation following the resignation. "BJP will wait till JD-U legislature party meeting. We will take a decision only after that," Pandey said.

Nitish Kumar submitted his resignation to Governor D.Y. Patil after the JD-U won only two of the 40 Lok Sabha seats from Bihar. In 2009, it won 20 seats in alliance with the BJP. Nitish Kumar made it clear he has not recommended dissolution of the 243-member Bihar assembly. He said a meeting of the legislature party has been scheduled for Sunday.