New Delhi, Aug 15: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar in an interview to the Week said he will discontinue his alliance with the BJP “within minutes” if Modi was made the prime ministerial candidate.
“Such a decision (to make Modi the PM candidate) will re-energise the Congress, which is facing problems on all fronts today,” he said.
The 16-year-old relationship between the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) and the Janata Dal (United) is passing through a very confusing stage, as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar gives “a very fruitful and serious suggestion” to the BJP to suggest a secular prime ministerial candidate.
It was clear it meant he did not want Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as PM.
In an exclusive interview with THE WEEK, he said he will discontinue his alliance with the BJP “within minutes” if Modi was made the prime ministerial candidate.
“Such a decision (to make Modi the PM candidate) will re-energise the Congress, which is facing problems on all fronts today,” he said.
However, he refused to put forward any name, rubbishing rumours that he hadnamed L.K. Advani as the candidate.
He denied being in the race for the post of Prime Minister, saying, “I do not want to be a Deve Gowda or a Gujral.”
He said his political ambition is to retain the CM's chair and to do good for the people. “I want to remain active in politics for the next 15 years, and then retire.”
When asked about the post-poll tie-up, he said, “Once my honeymoon with the BJP is over, I will be free to have alliance with any party that supports my goal of making Bihar a developed state.”
“If the Congress promises to meet my demands, I am open to the idea of a post-poll tie-up,” he added.
