Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and BJP national vice president Raghubar Das on Sunday backed Union Minister Ramdas Athawale's claim that Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar may return to NDA fold anytime.
"Nitish Kumar had been an NDA ally from the beginning. I think he might have spoken with Ramdas Athawale and said something..," Das said.
Athawale's claim on Nitish
Athawale boosted the ongoing speculation that Nitish is upset with the newly formed Opposition's INDIA bloc. He lamented the exit of Nitish's JD(U) from the NDA despite his “good relations” with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The RPI leader also expressed the view that the JD(U) leader, who has since been at the forefront of forging opposition unity, should skip the next meeting of non-BJP bloc INDIA at Mumbai scheduled next month.
“Koi faayda nahin hai (it will be of no use)”, said Athawale, asserting that it was his “advice” to Kumar to refrain from attending the meet.
There are many convenors and prime ministerial candidates in Opposition's coalition (INDIA), so there is no enough room for Nitish there, he asserted.
“He seems to be not happy in that camp. He was unhappy with the acronym INDIA but Rahul Gandhi prevailed”, said Athawale, referring to speculations in a section of the media that emerged after the new name was announced at the meeting in Bengaluru earlier this month.
Kumar himself has dismissed such speculations and asserted that the new name of the opposition coalition was decided unanimously.
Athawale, who also fondly recalled his own “good relations” with Kumar “since the days both of us served in the cabinet headed by late Atal Bihari Vajpayee”, was asked whether he would favour Kumar’s return to the BJP-led NDA, which he had quit last year.
“It is for Nitish Kumar and the BJP to take a call”, the RPI leader remarked, apparently mindful of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s repeated assertion that henceforth there would be no truck with the JD(U) boss.
The Union minister, who is here to attend a few functions, remarked that he has travelled to a few parts of the state and was struck by the good work done by Kumar during his tenure as a chief minister.
“But he has now gone with his former adversary RJD. I wonder if he had to do that, why did he join us (NDA) six years ago”, remarked Athawale.
(With agencies inputs)
