Nitish Kumar is 'Prime Ministerial material': Shatrughan Sinha

PATNA: Actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha on Tuesday dubbed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as "Prime Ministerial material" and said that he wanted to build bridges between the former partners BJP and the JD(U).

"Nitish Kumar is PM material. He is among the select few good and successful chief ministers in the country on Tuesday," Sinha, the BJP Lok Sabha member from Patna Saheb, told reporters at the Jaiprakash Narayan Airport here.

Sinha clarified that he was saying so as Kumar was among many leaders qualified for the post.

"At the end of the day one can become PM only after being chosen by the party and numbers in the elections," he said.

He also said that on the basis of his good personal rapport with Kumar, he would try to build bridges between the NDA and JD(U).

Sinha, who served as Union cabinet minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government, said he was not in favour of the BJP baying for Kumar's blood and calling the break up with JD(U) a betrayal.

"One should not burn all bridges as politics is art of possibility and flexibility," the BJP MP later told PTI.

"If we are not together on Tuesday it does not mean we cannot be together tomorrow also," he said.

He said he enjoyed a brotherly relationship with the state chief minister who also regarded him with great respect.

Sinha, who has been sulking after being denied a place in new election team of Narendra Modi, also praised Kumar for his development work in the state.