Ahead of ruling party JD(U)’s two-day national executive committee and national council meetings in Patna, the party leaders and workers proposed Mr Kumar as a national leader while, he (Mr Kumar) on September 2, 2022 ruled himself out from PM’s race. Mr Kumar’s partymen have been projecting him for a “national role” ever since he severed ties with BJP last month to join hands again with RJD to form mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) government in the State.
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“Chhodiye yeh sab baat (please leave aside such questions)” said Mr Kumar on Friday when media persons asked him about huge posters and banners put up outside his party office projecting him for a national role. Mr Kumar’s party JD(U) is scheduled to hold its national executive and Council meeting on September 3-4 at state party headquarters.
On August 31, Telengana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had visited Bihar and met CM Nitish Kumar, RJD leader and Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, his party chief Lalu Prasad Yadav with a call for BJP-mukt Bharat (BJP free India). However, Mr Rao refused to make any comment on Mr Kumar to become Opposition’s Prime Ministerial face in 2024 Parliamentary poll.
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Meanwhile, ahead of party’s meeting in Patna JD(U) workers and leaders have out up huge posters and banners projecting Mr Kumar for a bigger national role with his smiling pictures in a corner. “Pradesh mein dikha, desh mein dikhega (was seen in state, now will be seen in the country) says one poster while, another says, “Ashwashan nahi, Sushashan (not only promises but, good governance). The third poster says, “Aagaj hua, badlav hoga (Call was made, there will be change)” and the fourth banner put up on the outside boundary wall of the party office says, “jumla nahi, haqiqat (not false promise but stark reality)”.
Earlier, Mr Kumar himself had said that he would strive for Opposition’s unity in the country for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha poll. “Though I’m not in the race to become Prime Minister but those who have come in power in 2014 would have to face problem in 2024”, said Nitish Kumar. However, his party leaders and workers have been busy projecting him as a Prime Ministerial candidate in the upcoming 2024 general election. “If Gujarat’s chief minister can become the Prime Minister why can’t a leader like Nitish Kumar become? He is the most experienced chief minister of the country today”, the JD(U) leaders said.
When asked why he has come to the party office, Mr Kumar said, “today I’ve come to look at the preparation for party’s national executive and council meetings to begin from tomorrow but for the next two days, I’ll be here full time”. Earlier in the day Mr Kumar also attended function of former chief minister Daroga Prasad Rai’s anniversary at new secretariat building. When media persons asked him about PM Modi’s remark in Kerala which tantamount to sound bugle for the 2024 Lok Sabha poll, Mr Kumar said, “you all know about the situation in Kerala and when he is the Prime Minister and he can go anywhere”, while making oblique reference to the BJP’s repeated failure to make a mark in the left-ruled state. “I have had an opportunity to work under respected Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and I donot care much for what those ruling the Center today have to say”, Mr Kumar added.
Meanwhile, Opposition senior state BJP leader and party Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Modi said, “Nitish Kumar had invited KCR (as the Telangana Chief Minister is popularly known) to come to Patna to announce his name as a Prime Ministerial candidate but KCR refused to take his name forward. When Rao did not announce his name, Nitish Kumar stood from the chair but KCR then asked him to sit for a while… no bigger insult than this,” Modi said. “Both the leaders Nitish Kumar and KCR have been dreaming to become Prime Minister in daylight”, Mr Modi mocked."