Nitish Kumar was offered PM post by INDIA bloc, claims JDU’s KC Tyagi
The Opposition INDIA bloc offered Bihar chief minister and Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar the prime ministerial role in an attempt to draw him into the alliance, but he declined, party leader KC Tyagi revealed in an exclusive interview with Aaj Tak/India Today TV on Saturday.
“Nitish Kumar received an offer from the INDIA bloc to become prime minister. He received the offer from those who had previously denied him the position of INDIA bloc convenor. He has refused, and we are completely behind the NDA,” Tyagi stated.
The disclosure came amid speculation that the INDIA group has been cozying up to the JD(U) and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), both partners of the BJP-led NDA, in order to assemble a parliamentary majority and establish a government at the centre.
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Defying exit poll predictions, the INDIA group outperformed in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, winning 234 of the 543 seats. The NDA, on the other hand, gained 293 seats, while the BJP managed 240, 32 short of a majority.
Tyagi refused to name the leader(s) who offered Nitish Kumar the prime ministerial position.
‘There’s no question of looking back now’: KC Tyagi
“Some leaders intended to meet Nitish Kumar directly about the offer. However, we left the INDIA bloc due to the treatment he and our party leaders received. We have joined the NDA, and there is no question of looking back now,” he added.
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Nitish Kumar- The ‘Paltu Ram’ of Indian Politics
Nitish Kumar, renowned for switching sides, was the architect of the INDIA bloc and presided over the first meeting in Patna last year. He abandoned the Opposition alliance and rejoined the NDA in January 2024.
Nitish Kumar, whose party won 12 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, attended the NDA parliamentary conference on Friday, which elected Narendra Modi as the NDA Parliamentary Party Leader.
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The JD(U) chief has made numerous U-turns in the past. In 2013, he broke with the BJP and formed alliances with the RJD and Congress. After the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he rejoined the BJP in 2020 and became Chief Minister.
Two years later, he parted with the BJP to form a government with the RJD and Congress. In January of this year, he rejoined the NDA and was appointed Chief Minister.
