Not running away from taking responsibility: Nitish

Patna: Fuelling speculation that he was open to the idea of taking up the chief minister's post again, senior JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar today said that he was not “running away” from responsibility provided the people “gave him wages”.

“Hum is se nahin bhag rahen hain (I am not running away from responsibility,” he said at a function to mark the former president V V Giri's 120th birth anniversary celebrations at the S K Memorial Hall here.  “Koi dikkat nahin hai....hum bhag nahin rahen hain (there is no problem...I am not running away from responsibility),” the senior JD(U) leader, who had demitted the chief minister's post in the wake of the JD(U)'s debacle in the general elections earlier this year, said.

Apparently not ruling out that he may take up the chief minister's post in future, before or after the assembly polls due next year, Kumar urged the people of Bihar to give him wages in return for his work.

“You give me wages, I will work for you,” he said.  The senior JD(U) leader's hint at taking up the chief minister's job again assumes significant in the wake of the top party leaders exhorting him to take up the mantle yet again.

Some JD(U) leaders had broached the issue of him taking up the chief minister's post again at a party meeting held at his residence yesterday to which he has reportedly not expressed any opinion, sources in the ruling party said. 

The JD(U) has publicly stated that Kumar will be the party's chief ministerial face for the assembly polls due next year and will take up the job if the ruling party returned to power at the hustings.

Kumar's successor Jitan Ram Manjhi has, on numerous occasions, said that he will gladly vacate the post if his senior leader agreed to take up the job again and added that the former will be the party's face for the assembly polls next year.