NewsClick

NewsClick
  • हिन्दी
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Science
  • Culture
  • India
  • International
  • Sports
  • Podcasts
  • Articles
  • Videos
search
menu
  • All Podcasts
  • All Articles
  • Newsclick Articles
  • All Videos
  • Newsclick Videos
  • हिन्दी
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Science
  • Culture
  • India
  • Sports
  • International
  • Africa
  • Latin America
  • Palestine
  • Nepal
  • Pakistan
  • Sri Lanka
  • US
  • West Asia
About us
Contact us
Subscribe
Follow us Facebook - Newsclick Twitter - Newsclick RSS - Newsclick
close menu
Politics
India

Nitish Kumar Refutes Talk of Joining Modi Cabinet

The Bihar CM’s statement is being seen as a political message to BJP ahead of the next Bihar Assembly polls in 2020.
Mohd. Imran Khan
31 Oct 2019
Nitish Kumar
Image Courtesy: The Print

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday, October 31, refuted any chance of his party Janata Dal- United, an ally of Bharatiya Janata Party, joining Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet.

A day before JD-U Principal General Secretary K C Tyagi had said that his party will consider joining the Union Cabinet without any hesitation if they get an invite from NDA leaders, particularly Modi and BJP president Amit Shah.

"There is no such thing, it is baseless," Nitish Kumar said in a reply to the senior party leader Tyagi's statement.

Nitish Kumar's statement is being seen as a political message to BJP ahead of the next Bihar Assembly polls in 2020. The message is clear, Kumar’s party is not only crucial for BJP in the upcoming polls, but also wants to share power at the Centre like BJP is sharing power in Bihar.

Also read: Bihar BJP Leaders Boycott Dussehra Celebrations Attended by CM Nitish Kumar

Kumar has also raised the old demand of special category status to Bihar soon after assuming control as JD-U national president for the second time. This has made it clear that he is open to play his own politics.

After JD-U won 16 of 17 seats it contested in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls as an NDA ally, Nitish Kumar's party had refused to join the Modi-led government on the ground that it was offered only one berth in the cabinet. Political watchers said JD(U) had refused to join the Union Cabinet for being offered just symbolic representation. After being left high and dry by the top BJP leadership, Nitish Kumar had expanded his cabinet by inducting eight ministers from his party while not including any BJP leader. He later claimed that the BJP was offered a few positions on which the party was expected to take a decision later.

BJP had won 17 seats and another ally Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) won 6 seats. The NDA won 39 of 40 seats, while Congress managed to win one seat as part of the opposition Grand Alliance.

After that, the tussle between the two ruling parties was visibly stoked in July when the BJP leaders including MLAs opposed the Nitish Kumar government’s order to gather detailed information on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders and its subsidiary outfits.

In the past five months, a few senior BJP leaders have questioned Nitish Kumar over the deteriorating law and order situation in the state and had embarrassed him by pointing to the failure of the government in connection with the death of over 150 children reportedly from Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) in Muzaffarpur. Even in early October, BJP leaders blamed Nitish Kumar for one of the worst cases of waterlogging in Patna following heavy rainfall.

In this backdrop, it is widely being discussed in the political circles that BJP has had enough of Nitish Kumar. BJP leaders also claim that the party is stronger in the state and have overwhelming support from the upper castes, OBCs and EBCs that were once loyal to Nitish Kumar.

Also read: Operation 2020: BJP Eyeing Riddance of CM Nitish Kumar?

BJP
Nitish Kumar Government
BJP government
NDA
Narendra Modi
Modi Cabinet
JDU
LJP
Grand Alliance
K C Tyagi
Related Stories
Unnao Rape Case

Who Is Ruining Reputation of India?

Father of the victim mourning the death of his daughter. Pic by Dipali Raghave.

Unnao Ground Report: How Caste Bred Tragedy, Led to Gang-rape and Brutal Killing

Anaj Mandi Fire

Anaj Mandi Fire: Profit vs Workers' Safety?

More than 950 scientists

More Than 950 Scientists Call for the Immediate Withdrawal of CAB

How Legal System Fails Women, One Lynching at a Time

625 People Across Civil Society Have Issued the Call: “Don’t Betray the Constitution. Withdraw the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019.”

Jharkhand Elections, workers

Jharkhand: Do Workers Not Have the Right to Live?

Defence

Make in India a Failure in Defence Sector ?

Crime against women

Change in Society Needed Along with Strict Laws: Brinda Karat

A Day After Being Set Ablaze, Unnao Rape Victim Dies in Delhi Hospital

A Day After Being Set Ablaze, Unnao Rape Victim Dies in Delhi Hospital


Related Stories

JNU
Newsclick Team

JNU Students Flood the Streets Demanding Education, Receive Batons Instead

09 December 2019
Today, Delhi witnessed thousands of students from JNU march on the streets of the capital.
Delhi Anaj Mandi Fire: 43 Dead
Newsclick Report

Delhi Anaj Mandi Fire: 43 Dead, Chilling Accounts of Dying Workers Emerge

09 December 2019
In a massive fire which engulfed a building in North Delhi’s Anaj Mandi area in the wee hours of December 8, 43 industrial workers have died while
DUTA March to Parliament Barricaded
Ronak Chhabra

DUTA March to Parliament Barricaded; Teachers Court Arrest

09 December 2019
On Monday, thousands of Delhi University teachers marched to Parliament pressing for their demand of one-time absorption of all the ad hoc teachers

Pagination

  • Next page ››

More

  • JNU

    JNU Students Flood the Streets Demanding Education, Receive Batons Instead

  • Prime minister Abdallah Hamdok announced the withdrawal of the Sudanese soldiers on December 8.

    Sudan Withdraws 10,000 Troops From Yemen

  • World Anti-Doping Agency Hands Russia Four-Year Ban From All Global Events

  • How to Make India

    How to Make India Ungovernable

  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with
about
contact