Talks of JD(U) Joining Cabinet Was Media Speculation: Nitish Kumar

Nitish Kumar recently dumped the Mahagatbandhan with Congress and RJD and retained his Chief Ministership with support from the BJP. 

(Photo: PTI)

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday asserted that the issue of his party JD(U) joining the Union government was a “media speculation”.

“We neither considered the issue nor we had any desire or expectation (about joining the Union government). The issue was speculated in the media. It was baseless and unfounded,” the JD(U) president told reporters

This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday reshuffled his Council of Ministers. He had inducted nine BJP leaders into the government.

Speculation was rife that two MPs of the JD(U), which recently joined the NDA after severing ties with the RJD and the Congress in Bihar, might be given ministerial berths at the Centre.

“Your (media) speculation has been proved wrong and you should close the chapter,” Kumar said.

Also Read: PM Modi’s Cabinet Reshuffle Belies Expectations

‘There Was No Talk of JD(U) Joining Cabinet’: Nitish

On Saturday evening, Nitish Kumar, whose party recently rejoined the NDA said,

There was no such talk of JD(U) joining the Union Cabinet. No talks were held on the issue (between the BJP and JD(U)).

The public statement was seen to be an expression of disapproval at being left out of the process.

Shortly after the names of nine new inductees were announced, party leader Kaushalendra Kumar said,

Had we been included in the decision making it would have been better, it would have been better for Bihar.

JD(U)’s Kausalendra Kumar to ANI

The RJD left no time to rub it in. “Nitish himself has written his political obituary”, says RJD leader Manoj Jha after former alliance partner JD(U) was left out of the cabinet reshuffle.

I don’t consider JD(U) as an alliance partner of the NDA. This is a sanghi version of the JD(U) that has merged with the BJP. People say they had struck a deal wherein at least one or two JD(U) leaders would be inducted into the Union Cabinet, but it hasn’t happened. This tells you about how Nitish Kumar’s position has been revised. He was probably under the mistaken idea that he’s dealing with the BJP that existed under Vajpayee and Advani’s leadership. But just look at how they treated Shiv Sena. The script is written. Nitish is almost over.

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