Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said on Monday that the Bharatiya Janata Party would have no problem in winning the Gujarat Assembly elections as Prime Minister Narendra Modi comes from that State.
“ Gujarat me BJP ko koi khatra nahi hai (BJP faces no danger in Gujarat poll)...you must understand the feeling of people of the State from where the Prime Minister comes”, said Mr. Kumar, while addressing journalists on the sidelines of his weekly Lok Samvad programme in Patna.
Mr. Kumar, whose party JD(U) struck an alliance with the BJP to retain power, after quitting the grand alliance government in Bihar in July this year, said what he had said about the Uttar Pradesh poll was proved right. “Now, you will all see that what I say about Gujarat also will come true…the BJP will win the poll.”
Asked about the perception that Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi was growing in popularity, Mr. Kumar said, “Earlier, when he (Rahul Gandhi) had torn the ordinance bill (on convicted politicians) his graph in the media had gone up but mid-way it went low…now again it’s up during the Gujarat poll campaign…it’s all in your (media) hands.”
Asked about the recent comment made by former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah that PoK was part of Pakistan, he said, “everybody has the right to express his opinion but, I believe, that both Kashmir and PoK are an integral part of India.”
Asked about a minority community man being shot dead recently in Rajasthan by cow vigilantes, Mr. Kumar said it should be dealt with sternly.
“I had a detailed discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on this issue and he was of the opinion that the law should take its own course and that we should deal sternly with these elements,” he said, adding that “I’ve asked my officers to take stern action in such cases.”
On the sudden cancellation of the two-day conference of power ministers at Rajgir in Nalanda district recently by the Central government, the Chief Minister expressed his displeasure. “The decision to call off the conference at the eleventh hour was impractical and it led to embarrassment for the State government”, he said.
Opposition RJD leader Lalu Prasad had slammed the Nitish Kumar government for “splurging” on arrangements for the event.
“Why it was suddenly called off nobody knows but the Nitish government had spent huge money on preparations…even a renowned Bollywood singer was invited to entertain the guests”, Mr. Prasad had said.
Hitting back at Mr. Prasad, Mr. Kumar said, “He (Lalu Prasad) makes such comments to remain in the limelight.”
