PATNA: The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Friday joined the chorus of JD (U) leaders demanding that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar be the prime ministerial candidate of the INDIA alliance.
Senior RJD leader and party MLA Bhai Virendra said that Nitish was the most eligible Prime Ministerial candidate and the people of Bihar wished to see him in the coveted post.
RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari also said that the first President of the country Dr. Rajendra Prasad was from Bihar and now people wanted the next Prime Minister to be from the state. Citing the incident of a Muslim cleric praying for Nitish to become PM during his visit to a dargah in Phulwarisharif in Patna on Friday, Tiwari said, “He has respect for all religions."
Recently, senior JD (U) leader and Bihar assembly deputy speaker Maheshwar Hazari said, "CM Nitish Kumar is the most eligible candidate for the post. Whenever the Opposition alliance ‘INDIA’ announces the name of the PM candidate, it will be Nitish’s name only."
JD (U) president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh and Senior JD (U) minister Leshi Singh had also said that Nitish possessed the ability to lead the country.
Nitish had played a crucial role in uniting the Opposition parties. He had gone to different states to meet the Opposition leaders and appealed to them to come together. As a result, the first meeting of the opposition alliance was held in the state capital on June 23. Since then, demands have been raised from time to time by the JD(U) to declare Nitish as the PM candidate.
Earlier, Nitish had made it clear on several occasions that he did not aspire to become Prime Minister.
Meanwhile, Union minister and BJP MP from Begusarai Giriraj Singh alleged that there was a hidden agenda to destroy Sanatana Dharma, asserting that the country will not tolerate this. Singh accused RJD chief Lalu Prasad of creating confusion in society. He also made a scathing attack on Nitish Kumar, making it clear that the BJP had closed the doors for him forever.
On the prayers at the dargah for Nitish Kumar to be made PM, Giriraj said, “Whether Nitish goes to a shrine or goes for Haj, nothing will happen. He has become zero from hero. He never stood on his feet and now he has no political capital left.” It was due to the BJP's support that Nitish became the Chief Minister for the first time in 2005 and he should be indebted to the BJP for it, the Union minister added.
